


Tony 19

by froglee2598



Series: Tony 19 [1]
Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crossing Timelines, M/M, Puzzles, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:48:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 37
Words: 66,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25241908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/froglee2598/pseuds/froglee2598
Summary: Tony Stark is dead. He died like a hero, but he didn't get a hero's funeral.Before his death, his mind had been corroded by Kang, he only woke up at the last moment.And the person who defeated him was himself 10 years ago.19-year-old Tony Stark became Iron Man, the only Iron Man.This story takes place after 616 Earth's 1995-1996 Marvel Arc "Croosing". 19-year-old Tony from the past to the future.19-year-old Tony stood in front of Tony's grave, What If Steve came to mourn at this time...
Relationships: Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Tony 19 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1954957
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this story in Chinese, trying to translate it into English.I am not very good at writing in English. I mainly use software for translation, and then I check it myself. Hope it is not too difficult to understand.Believe me, this is a very, very long story. I completed the first part in four months. The translation will take more time. The love of Marvel Comics and the two characters is the biggest motivation for me to do this. After all, before I met earth 616 Tony, I had closed my pen for seven years. He inspired my passion for writing stories.So here we go.

Tony 19   
Chapter 00  
Tony Stark is dead. He died like a hero, but he didn’t get a hero’s funeral. Before his death, his mind had been corroded by Kang, he only woke up at the last moment. And the one who defeated him was himself 10 years ago. 19-year-old Tony Stark became the Iron Man, the only Iron Man.  
Chapter 01  
The rain is falling harder and harder. Tony stands alone at the grave of this one-time hero. Tony turned to leave That-Tony's grave. In the distance, a blond man was approaching. These days Tony deliberately avoids That-Tony's old teammates, the Avengers. But it seemed a bit too deliberate to run away this time, so he stopped.  
"Captain." The man came up to him, Tony recognized him.  
"Tony... Are you going to leave?"  
Tony involuntarily lowered his eyes to avoid the gaze of the man opposite him.  
"Yes. I didn't expect to meet the Avengers here. You know, after what he's done..."  
"He is not really an evil or a monster. He's just..."  
"It was only when he was a little older than me, Kang put an evil blot on his heart. It gradually eroded. One day, he lost his mind, became Kang's dog, helped him to conquer earth, tried to enslave all mankind!" Tony was repressed for a long time.  
"But he managed to escape Kang's control, destroy the machine, save earth."  
"He built it; He created a mess. That last good deed cannot make up for the evil he has done!" A burst of pent-up anger, Tony held his head, squatted down on the ground.  
Steve sat down beside Tony, lifted his hand and tried to touch Tony's head. But he paused, dropped it.  
"Tony... If you want to talk about it..."  
"I don't want to talk... I just want to... I..."  
"It's okay, kid, it's okay."  
When the steady voice sounded, Tony involuntarily hugged the man beside him, burst into tears. The rain had drenched him. He trembled.  
This time Steve didn't get off his raised hand, but lightly patted the crying child in his arms on the back.  
"I woke up alone in this damned world. I lost my parents, my friends; I lost everything I knew..."  
"I understand..."  
“You don't understand!”  
"I understand... I also once woke up alone in this future world. Everything was strange to me at that time. Most of my teammates have become names on the tombstone. I am filled with resentment. If it weren’t for him... It might be me who fell; It might be me who is lying in the grave today."  
Tony looked up, a little embarrassed. He sat up, took a little distance from Steve. The man's face blurred in the heavy rain. Taking off his uniform, he looked less solemn.  
"The whole world knows that Captain America never falls down. Captain America never makes mistakes." Tony said.  
"No, I've made a lot of mistakes. If it hadn't been him, I would make a mistake that I'll regret it for the rest of my life. Shortly after I joined the Avengers, I met Zemo, the man who killed Bucky. Despite Iron Man's objections, I followed Zemo to South America alone. I beat Zemo, but I didn't stop. I grabbed Zemo's neck... The scene of Bucky falling from the plane was magnified. Resentment around my head. Then he was in... The charter he had framed in the Mansion; The room he had made for me; The uniforms he had hung in my wardrobe; The shield he had mended on my desk... Although I didn't use any of the high-tech equipment in that room, it made me feel that the world was not so strange. Revenge resentment suddenly seemed less important than anything else I had gained, so my grip on Zemo's neck loosened."   
"You know, since I had been in the future, everyone told me about him. Thor said the stain of honor; Hawkeye said he was always a liar. Wasp's tears. Jarvis's sigher. Dr. Pym seems relieved. It doesn't feel quite the same from you..."  
“Is it?" Steve pondered.  
"Are you two closer? I always thought his best friend was James Rhodes."  
"We... He and I were more complicated than friends."  
"How complicated? You weren't there when his will was announced. You weren't even in his will."  
"The will was all about people he thought he had a duty to take care of, and I didn't. "Steve paused, then he changed the subject.   
"Have you met James? “  
"Met at the meeting. Pepper, Happy, Bethany... There are many more I can't name. I couldn't have been in his will. I didn't know why I was going to that damned meeting to know about a life that didn't belong to me. Do you want to know the contents of his will?”  
"I... I already know."  
“Did Jarvis tell you that?”  
"I don't need Jarvis to tell me. I know what he's going to say. ‘Don't remember what Anthony Stark did. Remember what Anthony Stark tried to do’"  
"So, will you forgive him?"  
"I have never rejected him for what he did. He always wanted to do better, beyond the times. But his attempts don't always lead to good results. He is a 'future man' trapped in this era."  
"He may not get what he wants when he goes to the future. Don't forget, I am a 'future man’ trapped in the future. I don’t have a familiar person in this era, except Jarvis."  
"Jarvis told me you didn't want to live in Avengers Mansion."  
"It's not my home anymore. It's the home of the Avengers. It's his home. I want to stay away from everything that once belonged to him, avoid all the people he knew."  
“Are you going to avoid me now?" Steve smiled gently.  
"Now? I don't want to avoid you, since you said the relationship you and he, not like the relationship they and he. Old Man."  
Steve's laughter stopped suddenly.  
"I'm sorry... Captain." Tony felt as if calling Captain America "Old Man" was not a good idea. He quickly changed the title.  
"It doesn't matter. Just call me ‘Steve’ when you're not on task. Call 'Old Man' in private is fine. After all, I was born in the 1920s. He used to call me 'Old Man'.”  
"Well, Captain, oh, S... Steve, what are we going to do now?" Tony relaxed, laughed too.  
"We can go back to the Mansion together or you can go back to the campus if you don't want to see Avengers..."  
"I don't know. I'm Iron Man after all. I am going to go back to Mansion and repair my armor. His armor base was destroyed in that fight, the only one left still needs to be repaired. I'm almost finished. And... Atishoo... "Tony sneezed, and suddenly felt that it was a silly idea to come out on a rainy day to go to his own grave.  
Steve didn't have an umbrella either, but he certainly wasn't in Tony's poor situation, but he still smiled and said:  
"I'm so cold. Let's go back. Light a fire, get some of Jarvis's hot tea, in case I catch a cold. “  
As the whole world knows, Captain America doesn't catch a cold.  
To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Tony 19  
Chapter 02  
Avengers Mansion  
The Avengers aren't home, just Jarvis.  
"Young master Antony, you are too much in the way. You didn't hold an umbrella in such heavy rain. I'll get you a cup of hot chocolate."  
"Jarvis, I'm not the only one without an umbrella."  
"Master Rogers won't catch a cold." Yes, as the whole world knows, Captain America doesn't catch a cold.  
Tony went into That-Tony's room, opened the closet...He paused, so strange. The mansion belonged to Tony’s memories. The old things of his own time, had been moved to his dormitory at Columbia University. So, he closed the door and sat in this strange room.  
"Tony... Are you in?" Steve's voice came through the door.  
Tony opened the door.  
"I think you might need this." Steve walked in, handed him a baseball shirt. He had changed his clothes, but his hair was still wet.  
"It's... "Tony was stunned.  
"When we went to the baseball game, he wore a shirt. He said when he was a teenager, he wore it. Until I saw him in it, I thought nostalgia was for an old man like me. He was always updating his stuff. I was always laughed at by him, 'the man out of time' clinging to old stuff."  
"Actually, you know..." Tony wanted to say that he didn't like baseball at all. As a teenager, he preferred to stay in the lab, not the playground. He had never bought a baseball shirt to watch a baseball game. But for some reason, he couldn't... He didn't want to disturb the memory of the man in front of him. So, he said:   
"Thank you. Fortunately, you have the habit of holding a bunch of old things, or I really don’t know what to do now."  
"Actually, only you can swagger into his room. Voice control, retina control, sequence lock...Every time I walk into..."Steve suddenly paused. After a few seconds, he continued unnaturally.   
"Jarvis just told me that the Avengers are on missions, except for you and me."  
Tony didn't notice the unnatural pause. He just took off his soggy clothes, put on the shirt Steve had handed him.  
"My ID card didn't ring." Tony said.  
"Neither of mine. Now Tasha is leading the team. And she's deciding who to call."  
"They still treat me like a kid. They seem to have forgotten that Iron Man is on the permanent roster. I'm Iron Man now. I don't need to be cared for like a fragile item. Have you forgotten that the Zodiac came not long ago and we won a battle together?"  
"Right! And you were so reckless!”

The attack on the Zodiac happened three days ago. It was a sunny day. Tony held a map, walking on the campus of Columbia University. He may be a genius engineer who can build a machine with a glance at a schematic, but he also has no sense of direction. He circled around the campus but couldn't find the way to the registration center. When he finally found it, the popular professor's science class was already full. He had to go next door to professor Elden, whom the old birds called "Western Witch." When the queue reached him, he was scared stiff by the professor in front of him. This professor, known as Western Witch, is Meredith McCall. She was his girlfriend from MIT before his time-travel. Tony gave up his MIT studies now because he is afraid of meeting people he knew. He couldn't explain why he would continue to take MIT classes 10 years later and still look the same as 10 years ago. However, nobody can predict, the past still finds him. No wonder the ebullient blonde became a "Witch". She was dumped by Tony for no reason, married a cryonics scientist, had an unhappy marriage, and finally divorced. She still uses her ex-husband's last name. Tony didn’t pay attention until it was too late. Tony didn't believe that he would not be recognized when he walked in front of her. He didn't know whether he should be fortunate, but the power was cut off at this time, and the entire campus fell into darkness. It should be said that the entire New York City fell into darkness.  
Tony's armor had not yet been repaired. The only thing he could use was a pair of gauntlets, which he carried with himself. He used the power of the gauntlets to activate the detection equipment. An unknown force field interfered with all transmission lines. New York City was covered by a black barrier. Meanwhile, signals of alien technology were sent out in the sewer. Tony followed the signal source and groped his way through the sewer to the exit. A small Zodiac airship was in front of him. Thor and Steve were fighting heartily with a bunch of Zodiac agents. Tony pulled on his gloves and fired repulsors, clearing the way for them.  
"Tony, what are you doing here? Quick, hide!" Steve shouted anxiously.  
"I can take care of myself and give you two a hand." Tony knocked down the Zodiac agent in front of himself and stood back to back with Steve.  
Thor and Steve were indeed looking for Tony. Avengers were out on missions. Although the backup power was running in the mansion, communications were being cut off by a blockade. Thor's powers have been malfunctioning recently. He could neither fly nor break the barrier with his hammer. They needed to rely on technology guys to solve this problem. Tony was the only scientist on the Avengers roster in the black circle now, so they headed for Columbia. They didn't expect that Tony had already traced to meet them halfway. Steve wanted Tony for technical support, not for hand-to-hand combat with a pair of gauntlets.  
"Swilce an hatian, dearr to abealg God, wite se mihte of Mjolnir.(Such a despicable, dare to offend god, taste the power of Mjolnir)." Thor shouted, knocking down several guys in front of him.  
Steve was attracted by Tony most of the time. His combat effectiveness was significantly reduced. Without armor protection, relying only on the repulsors emitted by the gauntlets, Tony was a living target. Fortunately, he is flexible.  
"Be careful! 10 o 'clock! 5 o 'clock! 8 o 'clock! What do you think?" Steve asked, reminding Tony.  
"The detection device I have is relatively simple. Preliminary diagnosis, the black circle is some kind of force field, which forms a barrier to block New York City, sends out certain frequency interference to disable electronic communication in this area. But look, where do these Zodiac agents come from?" Tony pointed to the carrier airship which was hovering overhead. "This airship is working, proving that their power sources were undisturbedIt. They can freely go in and out of the lockdown area, constantly sending their agents in."  
"So, you mean... Thor, we need one of their airships!" Steve shouted.  
"Be careful, don't make it break!" Tony shouted.  
Thor threw the hammer. Steve threw the shield. The agent operating the airship was shot down. Before the airship overbalanced and fell, Thor jumped on it. Steve jumped on it. Then they pulled Tony up. While Steve piloted the airship and Thor took charge of the airborne enemies, Tony took apart the panels and studied the airship's system. By this time, the streets of New York were already in a melee, full of panicked crowds and looting criminals.  
"If we can access communication devices, we should be able to use their network to contact the outside Avengers." Tony said.  
"Do it." Steve said.  
Tony used his Avenger ID card to plug into the device, and finally made contact with the Avengers outside. Wasp, Giant Man, Quicksilver and Hellcat in Southampton found out that something happened in New York. They are about to arrive.  
"The airship's power should be enough to open a channel on the Dimension Black Circle, but only for 30 seconds." Tony said.  
What Tony concealed was that he had to use earth technology energy to integrate and activate it. The only Earthly technology around to provide enough power is Tony's chest implant backup power.  
"Let them in! Then let's take down the Zodiac base!" Steve decided.  
Tony walked silently to the equipment.  
"Only 30 seconds, Giant Man ready, 3.2.1..."  
At this time, Steve's attention was focused on the crew entering. Thor was still on alert for attacks from the air. No one noticed that Tony was slowly falling down... Until Giant Man jumped in.  
“Tony! "Giant Man shouted.  
Steve was alerted by Giant Man's cries. He ignored the operation panel, rushed to catch Tony's body as it fell in front of him. Not so long ago, the same Tony, 10 years later, had just died in his arms latterly, if this one... Fear thrilled him with the cold in the dark dimension.  
"Hank! Hank!" Steve became incoherent.  
"Calm down, you calm down, let me check him." Giant Man pulled Tony out of Steve's clutches, laid him flat on the ground.  
"Thankfully, his heart hasn't completely stopped beating yet. I'm going to reverse the airship's power to the implant in his chest. Hoping it works."  
Tony's chest implant lit up again; His eyes slowly opened. Giant Man and Wasp were surrounding him. Steve, on the other hand, had already gone to the outer ring.  
"Tony, we really can't afford to lose you again." Said the Wasp with tears.  
"We set out to attack the Zodiac base." Steve restored the calm, commanding the team.  
"Great! Let's do it!" Cried Tony excitedly, unlike a man who had just had a brush with death.  
“You, stay!”  
"I want to go!" Tony glared at Steve. They were deadlocked.  
"Put on the mask, don't let them find out who you are, try to hide, don't get too far away from me." Steve eased his tone. Arguing with teenagers about danger, they will do it secretly. So it's better to put him under the nose.  
The final battle of the Zodiac.   
Wearing a red mask, Tony was not too far away from Steve.  
Not good! A sniper zeroed in on Tony! Steve’s shield flew directly towards Tony. Tony was stunned. But the shield folded, crossed Tony, knocked down the sniper behind him.  
"Don't need electronic remote control, you can fly out of the elevator shield. So handsome!" Tony exclaimed.  
"Hide! Be careful of your behind! Don't leave my sight!"  
Although the Avengers were less effective in this battle, these enemies did not fight them for long. Perhaps the chaos in New York City may just throw a stone to clear the road. Libra, the Zodiacal messenger, left the earth with the remnants of his gang. The black circle disappeared, and the sun was restored in New York.  
To be continued......


	3. Chapter 3

Tony at 19  
Chapter 03  
Avengers Mansion, now.  
“You are so reckless! I almost... We almost lost you again."   
"Er... So that means I'm grounded?" Tony said a bit frustrated.  
"Tony. This is the path he chose, not the path you chose. You're young, you're in college, and you can go through all kinds of life. Don't let his life be a burden to you."  
"From when I decided to come with you to the future, stop his conspiracy, I've made my choice."   
"I know you're brave. But after this matter, you can consider making a different choice."   
"I've made my choice." Said Tony, biting his lip.   
He did not dry his hair, the water dripped down his forehead, down his cheek, down his ears, down his neck, and onto the collar of his baseball shirt.  
Steve stood up and got close to him.   
"Tony... You know...”.   
He stopped speaking, just turned into the bathroom. He handed the towel to Tony.  
"Dry your hair."  
"Young Master Antony, I brought the hot chocolate," Jarvis's voice sounded outside the door.   
"Leave it at the door."   
"I'll see you drink it this time. Every time you say leave it at the door, I always come back to collect the chilled plates. "Jarvis said.   
Tony opened the door. Jarvis came in.   
"Master Rogers, you are here too. I just brought tea to your room, you were not in. Would you like me to bring it here?"  
“Thank you, Jarvis, I'm leaving.”  
"Wait, Cap... May I have a look around your room? I haven't been in your room since I've been here." Said Tony.  
"Oh? It's full of all kinds of old-fashioned stuff. There's no high tech like Tony's room, it should not conform to any Tony's interests."   
"You said he furnished your room with his own hands, didn’t you?"   
"Yes, I did. I can't use any of these things he's put on. Every time I enter my room, I have to say the password ten times. The password was changed every hour. After three mistakes, the alarm system would be activated, the entire mansion would automatically shut down. Once, I couldn't remember the password at that time. I was locked out of my room in the middle of the night. The alarms went off all over the mansion. Everyone got up, thought we were being invaded. I had to call him back from his beach house and let him deal with it."   
"Did he fly back?"   
"He did..." Steve smiled a little long. "The next day I told him to take it apart."   
Tony smiled too.  
"Aha, can we go to your room without any trouble now? It doesn't matter if it gets in the way. You know I can handle it. Only you can't, Old Man."  
Sure enough, Steve's room is neat and uncluttered. Flat sheets, an old radio at the head of the bed, photos of the Avengers, some books in the bookcase... There is a sofa and coffee table near the window. Attracting the attention of Tony are the paintings on the wall. Most of them are portraits, Thor, Giant Man, Yellow Jacket, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and of course the highest frequency is Iron Man.   
"Did you draw them? Lots of him."   
"Well... He had a lot of armor; I didn't actually draw all of them."   
"Only his armor, can't see his face, unlike the others." Tony looked closer. "But you injected expression into these armor paintings, as if they have thoughts, as if he and his armor are all one."  
"I can't paint him without armor..."  
"I know. Iron Man's identity is a secret. He's just Tony Stark's bodyguard. So, does it seem a little weird, Tony Stark is dead, his bodyguard is still flying around? How are you going to explain it to the public and the press when I fix my armor, end the ban, and go to task?"  
"I hadn't really thought about it. I've never been good at dealing with media things. He used to do all these things, our funding, our equipment, our satellite information, contacting the government and S.H.I.E.L.D., solved our various legal permission and collateral damage issues after battle... I didn't need to worry about all those things in all these years. I just needed to lead the Avengers, kick the bad guy's ass. He did other things, and then kicked the bad guy's ass with me. Now he's gone..." Steve looked up at the pictures on the wall, his mind grew long again.  
Tony saw grief and a sense of helpless vulnerability rise in Steve's face. The man in front of him was the idol of his childhood. Tony always thought there was nothing in the world that could knock him down. He was always optimistic. Those days, when Tony fighting beside him can feel the passion he brought, he can feel the belief that nothing can defeat the Avengers. Those things made Tony willing to follow him and die on the battlefield for him. This man in front of him is not the same man on the battlefield. He was in a deep wound, perhaps deeper than anyone else. Is this why Black Widow didn't call his Avengers ID card either? She positioned him where he was at that time. He was in front of Tony's tombstone.  
Tony may be very good at wiping a girl's tears, but he doesn't know how to comfort a wounded man, especially this man.  
"You know... Would you like baseball games? We can go to watch a game together someday."  
"Oh? So do you actually like baseball?"  
"Yep. Maybe you want to go with me. As a transfer student, I really haven't made any friends of my own age to accompany me." Tony was not guilty of saying a lie.  
Just then Jarvis hurried in.  
"Master Rogers, something has happened. Manhattan became an iceberg! Young Master Antony, you are here too. I thought you were back on campus."  
Tony ran to the window. Manhattan has been frozen, human sculptures can be seen everywhere on the road.  
"I don't think this is the result of the prolonged winter. It looks like our job has come. Fortunately, I didn't leave. Avengers Assemble!" Tony was suddenly in high spirits.  
"No need. Just two of us, and you stay."  
"Are you going to ground me too?"  
"No, I am not. I need you to do more important things. First, contact the Avengers who are out on missions and see if they can send anyone to give us backup. Second, find out why this happened. Third, find a way to unfreeze the frozen people as soon as possible. Fourth, inform S.H.I.E.L.D. of the solution and ask them to assist. Avengers' first duty is always to save people, not to rush in rashly. If you really want to be one of us, the first thing you have to understand is teamwork. Now, go!"  
The man who had been helpless and vulnerable vanished, became a reliable leader again. Perhaps the best cure for him is fighting. Maybe Tony is the same.  
To be continued......


	4. Chapter 4

Tony at 19  
Chapter 04  
The streets of Manhattan.  
"I am the new life form, I am the force of nature, I am Frostbite, you pathetic mortals are utterly vulnerable to the force of nature. Your weapon for me, but is children playing toys." A human frost monster fires icicles at New York police officers surrounding him, and the bullets they fire back crumble in the cold.  
"Today I'm going to bring all of Manhattan to my white wedding!"  
"Stop it! Avengers won't let you destroy summer in Manhattan." With a shout, a shield flew up and smashed the icicles.  
"Captain America, it's Captain America!" The pass by shouted in surprise.  
"Stand down, soldiers. Evacuate the people, let the Avengers take on this monster."  
"Aha-ha, Captain America! Looks like you're the only Avenger on the stage today. I thought there were lots of Avengers."  
"As long as there is an avenger today, you won't hurt anyone again!"  
"Is that so? Captain, it looks like you've packed all your winter clothes in the wardrobe. Are you sure you don't need to go back and change? Or you want to be frozen into a Popsicle and lie in the Arctic for another 40 years." Frostbite aimed a row of icicles at Cap.  
Steve shield up blocked the icicles of attacks. He glanced at the second-floor balcony of a shop. He threw the shield to Frostbite, disrupted his sight, then jumped on to the balcony from the trash can. He leaped, caught the shield that slid back in an arc. With his shield in front, he attacked Frostbite's neck.  
"I'm sure you can't send me back to the Arctic Pole!"  
Frostbite hasn't figured out what's happened, has been hit hard on the neck. He leaned a little, got a little dizzy.  
"Well done, Old Popsicle. Your shield can hold off a few of my frosts, but not my blizzard."  
Frostbite raised a hand. A swirling wind, accompanied by a hail storm, swept toward Steve.  
This time, Steve didn't defend with the shield, but rolled out of the way.  
"Hide so quickly. Don't you want to play hard? I am a force of nature, my source is endless, you are a mortal, see how long you can hide?"  
Under Frostbite's fierce attacks, Steve's options were limited. He wants to delay until the other Avengers return to support him.  
"Hey! Silly ice face, do you think you can become a god by deranging a few genetic codes? I don't believe in false gods. In other words, I don't believe in any of the gods! Why don't you try this!"  
A hot line cuts through the ice hailstones shot to Steve. Ice slag scattered all over the ground. Then the Golden Armor Knight fell slowly down from the sky. Repulsion flames under his feet, and he hovered in front of Steve.  
"Tony! What are you doing here?" Steve yelled, switching to the team channel immediately.  
"Ungrateful. Who saved you just now?"  
"My orders are clear. You must..."  
"Yes, Captain. I have executed all your commands, then thought you should need a hand."  
"All you are done?!"  
"Don't you forget it? I was Tony Stark before I was Iron Man, a young genius. None of that is a big deal. Do you want to hear good news or bad news first?  
Forget it, good news first. I have already found out all the ins and outs of this guy. This Silly-Ice Face's real name is Sloane Elden. He's a cryonics scientist who runs a private institution called the "Future of Humanity", such as that. It's funded by people who are dying. Want to listen to my point? Dying people. Call it "Future of Humanity", really ironic, Aha. The slogan of this organization is' being immortal ', but it's just propaganda. It's actually freezing rich people who are dying, turning them into Popsicles. They hope after 40 or 400 years, with the help of future technology, may wake up, be cured, then they'll be rich and richer, make money and more money... What a great pursuit! In fact, it is quite a low-end technology. I feel like 10 years ago I wrote a paper about demonstration on the Theory of Irreversibility of Human Frozen Cells, even now there are still people doing this. Rich people are so easy. Say so, you are a special case, Old Popsicle, because you have super serum, which means you've been converted, your cells can repair themselves at extremely low temperatures... It seems I need to study deeply."  
"Tony, could you get straight to the point?"  
"Come on, what's the hurry, looks like you run full of energy."  
"Tony..."  
"Elden was terminally ill, had to freeze himself. Remember the Black Circle in New York caused by the Zodiac? Apparently, the facility also lost power, and their backup power supply wasn't enough to support so many popsicles, but Elden seems to have been prepared for such a situation like that. He used the bodies of other popsicles to convert energy into his own chamber, accidentally triggering his own cell mutation and becoming the hell face like this."  
"Okay... Do you have a solution?"  
"That's bad news. In other bad news, now, the other Avengers are in California, Wisconsin, Africa, Atlantic. The nearest are on Long Island. The situation of Giant Man and Wasp is a bit tricky, and can't be solved for a while. Black Widow talked to me with a black face, 'If Captain America and Iron Man can't handle a little Popsicle, they could be off the roster. '  
So... inspired by Black Widow, I quickly repaired my armor and rushed over."  
"I see..."  
"Now my shell is much thicker than your flag suit, so this time it's up to you not to get too far away from me, and try to hide behind me, so as not to be frozen into Popsicle again. Aha-ha-ha."   
"Tony..." Tony's joke didn't make Steve laugh. "We couldn't hide forever. Try to hit his head. I just hit him hard."  
"Come on, you distract him from my back, I fire the infrared hot line hit his neck."  
The combo attack worked, Frostbite stumbling and falling. Steve jumped down and hit him hard. But Frostbite slowly stood up and hailed them again.  
The fighting continued.  
"My infrared thermal energy is becoming less and less effective at defusing his attacks. Just like he really has unlimited energy reserves, but I don't. Wait a minute... I think I've found something... Are you getting colder and colder?"  
"In these cold temperatures, of course I get colder and colder."  
"More than that, my monitoring shows that every time you get close to him, your body temperature drops to a low point and climbs slightly apart from him, but it's still lower. My body temperature doesn't seem to be affected much. More and more people were freezing around us, though they were not close to him. I need to run a contact test on him. You get his attention. I'll shave off some of his skin and analyze."  
"Since you're a 'genius boy,' do it!"  
"Hey, Look, Silly-Ice Face!" Steve shouted.  
"Don't copy my style. Aren't you supposed to deliver honest speeches?"  
"I thought you would take that as a compliment."  
"I thought you never played jokes, only played solemn and stirring."  
“That means you don't know me well enough. I also thought the little genius only cried, 'Oh, I came into the future alone, no friends, no family, lonely me. boohoo....'"  
"Will see who's going to cry now!"  
Tony hit an infrared hotline, smashed a big hockey puck above Steve's head that he just avoided. The debris dissipated. Tony used the sonar shield to redirect them. A pile of debris hit Steve 's face directly.  
"Whose side are you on?"  
"I am considering standing on his side."  
"Hey! Would you two guys please consider a serious fight with me?" Ignored for a long time, Frostbite raged. An ice storm swept them.  
"Look out! "Tony clutched Steve, flashed brush. "I've saved your life again. Hehe."  
"That was your plan, wasn't it? I was the bait. After swinging for so long, have you shaved enough skin?"  
"Early enough, I just want you to run a little more. Old Man should get more exercise."  
"Would you put me down now?"  
"I could, but you have to run a few more laps. I'll go back to the mansion and analyze. I have a theory now, but only a theory. If that's what I suspect..."  
"You'd better come back soon. The Old Man can't run any longer."  
"Did you miss me even before I left? Who was in such a rage when I came to help just now?"  
"Go!"  
Another hour has passed...  
"Tony, are you stalling on purpose?" Steve shouted on the team channel.  
"I swear, I really didn't. It's just that I accidentally destroyed the samples. We may have to do it again."  
'What?!"  
"I was joking. I know you're tired, dear Old Man. I am coming! Young Genius Iron Man is coming to save you!"  
The Young Genius Iron Man came on stage, raised one gauntlet which popped out a small box inside, and shot it straight at Steve.  
Steve didn't watch out. It hit him directly. Liquid poured over him.  
"What?! Are you really on his side?"  
"Are you crying again, Old Man? Don't cry, you know my heart belongs to you."  
"What the hell is this?"  
"It's a kind of barrier coating. I have this ingredient in my armor. After my analysis of his cells, I believed that his cells had mutated. He acquired an ability to convert the heat energy of surrounding human bodies into a cold current. He relies on people around him to power him. By blocking his energy sources, he gradually loses momentum. I have transferred the ingredient formula to S.H.I.E.L.D. They are spraying everyone around. Another moment and the guy will break down."  
Tony's prediction is right. Frostbite's attacks get lower and lower, finally subdued by them. S.H.I.E.L.D. put him in the prison van.  
"Elden, I always felt his name was familiar, and his occupation... I didn't think much about it during the fight. I just noticed now..."Looking at the faraway van, Tony said confusingly.  
"He did say a bunch of weird things when he showed up, and now I remember what he said, 'Today I'm going to bring all of Manhattan to my white wedding!’.  
Although they are bad guys, they don't attack for no reason. They always have some reasons, such as taking over the earth, taking revenge on society, dominating mankind, seizing wealth and so on. His reason is really confusing." Steve said.  
"I remember something." Tony rushed to the mainframe room of Avengers Mansion.  
"I think our mainframe should be able to hack into the Columbia database." Tony hurriedly operated the computer, and said as no one was watching.  
"Tony, what are you doing? "Said Steve next to him.  
"I say so it was a name I feel familiar with. I see. Ah! His ex-wife's name is Meredith Elden. Before they got married, her name was Meredith McCall. She is my girlfriend and my science professor.  
“What?!"  
"Technically she was my girlfriend 10 years ago, but that's relative to her time, my time she is still my current girlfriend from two weeks ago. You know I still have feelings for her. She's really beautiful.  
But obviously she was probably self-defeating after I 'dumped' her, and then she married this guy. Once again, it proved to be unwise to marry a spare. They got divorced. And this guy is a total psychopath. The genetic mutation could make him even crazier. Madmen usually have to take someone with them, so... The "white wedding", he mentioned...  
Wait, I found her address... Anyway, I had to take the risk of being recognized, if I guessed right...Oh, silly me, I can put on my armor now, so that means no need to be worried. Let's go!"   
Tony took Steve, flew over without asking his opinion about this assignment.  
Professor Elden's house turned into an igloo. By the time they arrived and found her, she was an ice sculpture. Tony sent her to the hospital.  
"She was obviously his first victim. Because it was sent too late, the doctor said the low temperature damaged her brain cells. She is very difficult to wake up in a vegetative state.”  
Tony stood by her bed, looking mournfully at the woman whom he had once loved and still admired lying lifeless.  
"I don't know if I should be glad to avoid her science class. Because of this situation, she won't be able to recognize me and ask questions about where I've been for the last 10 years."  
"It's not your fault. You didn't know." Steve patted Tony on the shoulder.  
"I could have to solve this matter earlier. But I... I procrastinated time unconsciously. To fight with you, just the two of us... Let me... It made me so happy. When I came to the future, after so many chaotic things, it was the first time I was so happy. That makes me forget that so many people in the world are still counting on us... counting on Avengers."  
"I confess, I was glad to let you play around. I haven't felt happiness like this for a long time, you know, since he... Well, if someone is going to take the blame for this, it's on both of us.  
You don't have to despair. There are other ways. When Hank gets back, we should discuss it with him. He is an expert in the field of cell biology. And we have a Young Genius, don’t we? Nothing is can’t be solved."  
"Yes, there's nothing, the Avengers can't solve." Tony's hopes rose again.  
To be continued......


	5. Chapter 5

Tony 19  
Chapter 05  
Ebbets Field, years ago.   
"Well, Steve, bring back any old memories?"  
"Not really. No."  
"Not, really? Why not?"  
"More of a Brooklyn Dodgers fan. God, I really miss Ebbets Field. When I did attend games, I never sat in luxury seats like this one."  
"You know, it's a different league. One is the domestic league, another is the international, which is higher. Wait a moment, the distinction between them early before you have been deep frozen."  
"That...... I don’t really have much time to pay attention to the baseball game."  
"Because you are busy saving the world?"  
"Pretty much." Steve smiled awkwardly.

Ebbets Field, now.  
"So... You're actually a fake baseball fan, you haven't even been to a baseball game." Tony laughed.  
"You may well say so. When I was a kid, my father hardly ever took me to baseball games. Adult, as he said... Busy to saving the world. And I have one more thing to confess. When I was a kid, I didn't have a bat or gloves. All I could do was watch the neighborhood kids play baseball with envy. Until my eighth birthday, I got my first baseball bat. I joined the street team and played baseball for the first time in my life. But I was really bad at it. They didn't want me anymore. I didn't use that bat a few times, but I kept it. And when I'm an adult..."  
"Busy saving the world, I knew. I also confess, actually, I don't like baseball. I really don't know when he got into baseball. At least, not at my age or before."  
"But your analysis of the form of the game is very professional".  
"Young Genius, have you forgotten?  
"Which side should we cheer on?"  
"Whichever side we want to. Good shot!" Tony stood up and whistled.  
"Oh, well done!" Steve stood up and clapped.  
After the baseball game, they were walking in the street.  
"Can't believe we watched the whole game!"  
"Is that so strange? What about before?" Tony asked.  
"Not, because Carol was coming."  
“Carol? Captain Marvel?"  
"And there were two Carols, one after the other. Don't know which one to help. Later, Tony’s detection device confirmed one of them was Skrull disguised. We helped another Carol grab the Skrull Carol, but when we went back to the Avengers Mansion for further testing to confirm, we found out the disguised Carol was the real Carol, and the other Carol took disguise to Carol, in order to sneak into the Avengers Mansion, then...You know..."  
"Superhero Daily."  
"Yeah, Superhero Daily." Steve sighed.  
"Besides, when he said there's a 100 percent chance of confirmation, the odds were about 80 percent or less." Steve recalled the scene at that time, and laughed again.  
"So ‘Superhero Daily' means' Lost Daily’."  
"That's why I wonder how we enjoyed the 'Daily' today. My Avengers ID card didn't ring."  
"Either of mine."  
"And we haven't run into any emergency today."  
But Steve's voice just dropped... A flickering whip, caught in the wind, came down from the sky and fell straight in their direction.  
“Look out!" Steve was quick to take Tony, rolled over to the side of the street, ducked behind a car, and then rolled out of the car into a nearby alley. His movements were masterful.  
"You...... You are really a crow." Tony gasped.  
“Suit up!" Steve yelled, he pulled the shield out of the backpack and quickly changed into his uniform. When he turned around, he found out Tony was just using a pair of gauntlets.  
"Tony! Are you going to fight hand to hand again on nothing but a pair of gauntlets?"  
"I didn't bring my armor out."  
"You didn't bring it out?!"  
"I don't know how to take it with me yet." Tony said awkwardly.  
"He had a suitcase with him all the time."  
"I know, but what do you think about my age with a suitcase around the campus, more likely to cause raised eyebrows. I don't want to be seen as a strange Uncle."  
"Superhero Daily."  
"Er... I know now. It may happen at any moment, and there will be no time to go back and prepare."  
“Well, in this case, hide yourself."  
“Again?”  
"If you fight like this, I will be distracted, further reducing our fighting capacity. Last time, struggling against the Zodiac, you exposed us in an ambush."  
"Last time you were not so mean, praised me for doing a good job, this time why started settling old scores?"  
"Cause you're over the ‘sniveling little boy’ now."  
"So your ‘goodwill captain’ gesture has been taken back, Uh?"  
"Last time, you also praised my elevator shield, said it is very handsome and saved your life. Is your ideology broken now?"  
"Disillusioned long ago, decades of the same tricks, Old Man."  
“That's an order!”  
"You're not the chairman of the Avengers right now, remember? And it’s just the two of us, sort of a private accident."  
"Well, fine. You contact the other Avengers!"  
"Be teased by Black Widow, again? 'Captain America plus Iron Man can't even handle a small role. Off the register immediately? '".  
"If we keep arguing, there will be more innocent people injured!"  
"You go out and delay him. I checked the bottom of this guy. Then I'll back you up."  
"All right. Do it!"  
Not many terminals nearby can provide support. Tony rushed into a fast-food restaurant, held up the Avengers ID card, and shook it.  
"Avenger business, thank you for your cooperation. I need to use your computer." In fact, everyone in the restaurant had already hidden under the table, no one stopped him using anything.  
The Windows 95 desktop and slow dial-up Internet drove Tony crazy. Tony thought it would be nice if the Avenger system could be hand-held and wirelessly connected to the high speed satellite space network all the time.  
“Study it someday”. He murmured. Finally, I went in.  
"What did you get? "Steve's voice came from the team channel.  
"Do you miss me again?"  
"I don't think you need to research. I already know who he is, 'Whiplash', a mercenary. What enemy have you got, being hunted down in the street?"  
"I think he is your enemy. After all, every day with a flag face in the street has been you."  
"Surely not me, he shouted 'Tony Stark comes out'."  
"How is it possible? I have been in this place for less than a month. Few people know the armor pilot has been changed. I'm just a transfer student in NY, 19 years old with a simple background. Has he been away from Earth lately? The message has been a bit sluggish. He doesn't know that Tony Stark is dead."  
"That's impossible. Otherwise, he couldn't have ambushed us at the exact time and place. Baseball tickets. Did you buy them with your name?"  
"Yes."  
"That makes sense, it's you exactly who he is looking for."  
"Whatever. Just fight."  
"Did you line on the Avengers mansion system, find anything?"  
"You know, though the Whiplash was Tony Stark's old adversary, but I've never played with him. According to the data of That-Tony, Whiplash is a pair, a man and a woman, true identity is unknown, hired killers only recognize money, good at using two high voltage whips."  
"Is it a man or woman this time?"  
"The man."  
"That's Blacklash. Attack his base. He relies on base flight from air superiority, but every time he attacks launching a whip, the base current will be unstable, so he’ll habitual right, balance of the body. In that interval, you aim at his base, and it's all right for him to fall. And if you don't want to be barbecued on a skewer, don't let his whip through your shield. You will be hit directly by high-voltage currents due to the echo amplification effect of the Vibranium conductor."  
"I got it."  
The Whiplash’s whips curled up with electric light and flew towards Steve. Steve leapt up, side-stepped, and swerved sideways, his shield flying sideways toward the base at the foot of Whiplash. The shield collided with the base, emitting a hissing electric light. But after the lightning, Whiplash stood still.  
"Aha, captain, also wants to use the old way to deal with me. My new employer did a comprehensive upgrade of my equipment. Today is different. Tony Stark, you coward, hiding behind and just talking, letting someone else fight for you?"  
"Tony, he's pissing you off. Don't come out."  
"I'm not stupid. But I'll need to be a little closer to him to test his new gear. You protect me for a few minutes."  
"So I'm the bait again?"  
"Something like that."  
"Out! Now!"  
Steve threw the shield to disrupt Whiplash. Tony rushed out of the fast-food restaurant, drilled to the bottom of a car.  
"I'm out. You let him near me. I'm already under a car at 35.3 degrees and 25.7 meters away from your right back ".  
"Whiplash, no matter who your employer is, your act of hurting the innocent only for money is unjust." Steve fought and retreated, leading the Whiplash to Tony's direction.  
"Captain, I am very short of money. I still have a wife and children to raise, unlike you heroes who drink and fight every day and get money."  
"Lay down your arms, it's not too late to surrender. I will state your surrender to the authorities."  
"Looks like I'm not the one who needs to surrender." A whip light rolled on Steve again. Steve got out of the way.  
"Whiplash, your wife is not present today. All you have to do is say who's behind it. We can offer you witness protection, your whole family."  
Another flash of lightning struck.  
"Whiplash, you actually still have a chance to change. Think about your children. What would they think of your crime today?"  
"All they'll know is that I paid their tuition."  
Whip lights, sparks, and streaks of black smoke were all around.  
"Tony, how long do I have to speak? I'm running out of words."  
"So it's actually my style that makes it easier to deliver lines?"  
"I'm going to copy Thor's lines if you don't get it right."  
"I've got most of his data, but I need a sample of his whip."  
"Here we go again."  
"You let his whip sweep under the car where I am hiding. But don't let it get through to blow me up."  
"It's a little difficult."  
"But not for you, isn’t it?"  
Steve retreated to the right side of the car, blocking the whip's view so that he couldn’t see Tony under it.  
“Now!" Tony said.  
Steve leaned over. The whip came at him against the tarmac road. Steve rolled so fast that the whip did not hurt him. Tony was hiding under the car. A little paw stuck out of his gauntlet, clipped the whipping whip. It shrank back quickly before the electric light came. It was done without anyone knowing it.  
"All right. But you'll hang on a little longer. I promise you I won't delay this time. I'll be worried if I leave you with this villain for too long. I have a theory... Should be able to quickly solve him."  
Steve led Whiplash to the other side. Tony took the opportunity to run back to the restaurant.  
"Well, what can I get here?" Tony muttered to himself, glancing quickly around the small fast-food restaurant. Coffee maker, microwave oven, a bunch of metal cutlery. Finally, his eyes fell on the old computer.  
"Sorry, please mail the bill for the damaged items to Maria Foundation." He directly hit open the computer, took out the circuit board inside.  
Five minutes later,  
"All right, I also need the last thing". He muttered.  
"Steve, do you trust me?" Tony shouted.  
“What?”  
"Because I need you to surrender now!"  
To be continued......


	6. Chapter 6

Tony 19  
Chapter 06  
" I need you to surrender now!" Tony repeated!  
“What?”  
"Count to zero, you give him your shield."  
“I believe you. Do it!”  
Tony held a strange pike of various kinds of tableware assembled mechanical rushed out of the restaurant.  
"5,4,3,2,1,0... Do it! "  
Steve's shield flew out, caught in the long whip of the Whiplash. A light from Tony's machine fell on the shield. The shield shook quickly, and the whip that wrapped the shield shattered into pieces.  
Whiplash just thought already got, see this kind of circumstance, instantaneous be frightened change color. I just upgraded equipment, never thought so kind of useless. Although there are a whip remaining, but the opponent has cracked its technology. Better not lose all.  
"Tony Stark, don't think you're tough. You just lucky, Captain America around to protect you. One on one, you'd be dead by now. Don't sleep so well. I'll be back." Whiplash shouted and flew away.  
"Yeah, yeah, you these bad guys always come back!" Tony shrugged to the direction of Whiplash.  
"It was almost two hours of fighting. I'm starving. I feel like I could eat a row of hamburgers. I've torn down this restaurant. Don't go in there. Go to the corner one." Tony picked up Steve and left.  
"But if we're going away like this..." Steve is still looking at the restaurant Tony just destroyed.  
"I have told the restaurant owner to mail the bill to the Maria Foundation and I have informed the Foundation to send a special collateral damage team, who are on their way. You don't have to worry about it. Seriously, aren't you hungry after all this fighting? "  
"Well, let's sneak away. "Steve laughed.  
"Go down the alley around the corner and change your flag suit. I don’t want to be dazzled by eating at a fast-food restaurant with Captain America. "  
10 minutes later, the fast-food restaurant around the corner.  
"... I used the microwave frequency add to your Vibranium, adjusted the circuit board to a correct frequency, directly removed his whip. He stared. Ha…Ha…" Tony ate three hamburgers, has a spirit, began to gush.  
"Then you will say, ' I was the one who made my first armor in the cave’, see, I have heard this story... " Steve can't go on.  
"I haven't heard of it." Tony's laughing stopped.  
"Oh... I... "  
"You mistake me for him again. But I think I can make it if I'm stuck in a cave. But then again, I would never have trapped in the cave. Selling weapons is a stupid way to make money and getting caught by terrorists for providing follow-up services is just stupid on top of stupid. And do I need a hard suit of armor to get out? And caused Professor Yinsen to die. I have studied the data at the time, and now I have at least three escape plans in my mind. Is this person we talk about really a genius?" Tony said a little crossly.  
"So, you've heard this story."  
"Yeah, I lied. I've heard it a million times. I really can't imagine why my future self would do such a stupid thing."  
Steve didn't contradict Tony. He looked down and stirred the coffee cup in front of him.  
“But anyway, today proves you're being watched. You'll have to get some fighting training. The people behind the Whiplash won't stop, so you can protect yourself without armor.”  
"I think today proved that I can protect myself without armor. And what happened today made me think about how to carry my armor with me solve this kind of 'superhero daily' problem. I have a couple of plans right now. And I don't think learning three punches and two kicks is going to do it with such a hard hand as Whiplash."  
"But it buys you some time in the event of an emergency, contact and wait for backup, or come up with a solution to the problem."  
"Only shit, who's going to fist fight when you've got technology at your fingertips? Oh, yes... Like this one."  
"Tony... "  
"Cap, are you sure you wouldn't consider switching to a laser shield? I can build one for you, or add some remote control to your old shield, so that it can point and hit anywhere without having to practice a thousand times. Build you an armor that provides more reliable protection than your flag suit. Of course, after I have money, I am relatively poor now. He died leaving me nothing, but I have a few ideas that would solve my financial problems."  
" Basic fighting and survival training are required courses for every Avengers."  
"Yes, yes, man out of date. Who added the course to it? You can train him if it becomes a required course, right? Because I really can't figure out why I would want to accept the training actively."  
"Yes, I have trained him. But he asked for it, and the training had saved his life many times."  
"But I'm not him." Tony said defiantly. “How about this, let's make a bet, technology versus fist. I'll wear armor and you use your old shield and fist. If you win, I'm going to take these courses. If I win, you cancel these courses.  
Oh, and one more thing, I've been doing some serious reading lately. Your actual age is not a few years older than me. You're only 22 when you're frozen in the ice. You can't just add on the years you've been frozen. He was 23 when he found you, so you're actually younger than him. You just like to play 'vicissitudes.'"  
"You found out? Ha…ha…"  
"Yes, I found. "  
" Don’t treat yourself as an old man just because your old teammates are old or dead. What is someone saying in that perfectly valid statement 'Their life is their life, your life is your life.' So, live in the moment, don't be a man out of time.  
Now, are you ready for the challenge? Check!"  
"In fact, you don't have to say a bunch of things like that I am all ready to accept the challenge. I don't think high technology is not good, but we can't just rely on machine to solve all off problems. Perceptual intuition, survival instinct, cognitive content, these basic abilities of human beings are not completely imitated by machines. In extreme special cases, these basic things are the key to our success. And as an avenger you will often encounter this kind of situation.  
Besides, my ‘old’ is not made up, it is accumulated from many battles. As you said, ‘age is not a mere addition’, right?” Steve returned a provocative look this time.  
"Then it's settled, Really Old Man." Tony caught his gaze.  
To be continued……


	7. Chapter 7

Tony 19  
Chapter 07  
Simulation training room, Avengers Mansion, now.  
This is the Simulation training room at Avengers Mansion, but Avengers call it "playroom." It was Tony's first time in here, and Steve was already waiting inside. Tony with his new backpack, the strap crosses his chest, connects to his chest implant.  
"Look, Steve, my new backpack." He pushed a button on the strap, the pack bounced off, his armor unfurled from the bag and fell on him. "I've upgraded my armor. You're going to lose this time."  
"Is it? I was really afraid of lose. Why don't we make our game a little harder. There are various simulation training robots, we activate them during the fight. They will randomly attack the two of us. While we are fighting each other, we have to deal with their attacks."  
"Oh, that's interesting. Isn't that like playing a video game?"  
"Almost. You can pick levels. You won't be afraid to lose，would you?"  
" How can that be? I'm an expert at video games." Tony calculated; the sensor device equipped with his armor would resolve the attack as long as he could detect the location of the attacking object. "But I need to do some scans first."  
"Okay."  
"Also, I want to add a little heat, if I win, you need to learn how to operate armor from me, and put on the armor I made for you to fight "  
"I agree. But if you lose, you need to take extra practice in this room."  
"I'm not going to lose, go ahead!"  
Ten minutes later, Tony lost...  
He blasted off the flying disk at 36 degrees, dismantled the two long-grabbing robots that attacked at 45 degrees and 48 degrees, and activated the repulsion device of the boots to fly upwards to avoid the laser beams from diagonally below the ground. And then he was hit in the same direction by Steve's shield. Steve flew down. Tony fell straight to the ground, fell back, and was pinned down by Steve. Steve raised his shield and smashed the invisible joint of armor’s relatively fragile neck. Armor damaged, made a sizzle noise. Tony laid on the ground. His mask opened automatically.  
Steve's laughing face magnified …  
"Throw in the towel? You made three mistakes today:  
1\. Divulge the details, let the opponent take precautions in advance;  
2\. Competitive, lose your cool judgment;  
3\. Away from home, playing by your opponent's rules."  
"I think I made only one mistake today," Tony said stiffly. "My armor wasn't smart enough. If my armor can not only detect the attack position of these simulated combat devices, but also automatically counterattack; If it can calculate your possible attack mode through the analysis of your past battle data; If I use my mind to control my armor directly, instead of controlling it by voice, it will be thousands of times faster than now; I don’t need to do it myself and you have been defeated by my armor. So, I don’t need your cookie-cutter simulation training course, or rely on the so-called ‘subconscious body actions’. I just need to create a smarter armor system.  
But lost is lost, I will attend those so-called training sessions."  
Then Tony want to getting up, but Steve, who is pressing on him, seem to have no intention of moving. The damaged armor is also a bit heavy. Tony can’t get up.  
Steve's face continued to magnify in Tony's eyes. Tony can even feel his breathing, and feel his nose seems to be touching his nose.  
"You know, I think what you said makes sense. You don’t need to join the simulation training session. You can go to creating the armor you want. Maybe one day I'll wear the armor you create for me."  
Steve's voice is warm and deep. Tony could feel his breath blowing to his ears, blowing the tips of his hair, twitching itching. But his restrained state makes him unable to lift his hands. He just let the itching growing.   
Oh, my word, I want to grab it. Clearly, my helmet is on why I feel his breath blow to my ears.  
"What day?" Tony said slowly, not really knowing what he had answered, but just following Steve’s words.  
"When I'm too old to run, you're still flying around in the sky, I'll put on the armor you build to me, to trace you, to pursue you, to grab you, so that you'll never, ever escape."  
Tony wasn't sure if Steve had said those words. He just like lost himself in his blue eyes. He wasn't sure if what was happening was really happening, or if it was just an illusion. But he was still expecting, some kind of expectation he could not define, expecting the illusion to go on, and he felt as though he had closed his eyes.  
Maybe 10 seconds, maybe 30 seconds, maybe longer...  
"But you still have to come to basic fighting and survival training."  
Tony opened his eyes; Steve has approached to the door of the simulation training room. The sound of his voice also returned to captain normal.   
That scene probably never happened. Tony said to himself.  
" Boxing and Scouting, I see, old man." Tony got up and disguised his voice as normal.

Gym, Avengers Mansion, a few days later.  
"My God, Tony, don't you have a hobby other than staying in the lab?"  
"Electronic music, video games, racing cars, chasing girls... My hobby, my hobby...It’s... It's all... Young people hobby." Tony was out of breath and did not forgot to argue.  
Tony was thrown to the ground again.  
“Come again!” Tony got up stubbornly, raised his fist and went to Steve's face, hit an empty.  
"Let's call it a day. You have courses tomorrow." Steve said.  
“No, come again!”  
"I thought you didn't like boxing lesson."  
"Like now, I found the boxing is a good way to vent." Tony shoot his fist to Steve’s face again, hit an empty again.  
Finally, Tony collapsed on the mat, aching all over.  
Steve stretched out his hand to pull him up. Tony waved his hand away.  
“I can get up myself! "Tony shored up the body with the hand, side over and got up. “I'm going back to my room, don't help me, don't follow! "  
Tony toward "Tony" room. As Steve watched Tony fadeaway, his mind drifted back to years ago...

Gym, Avengers Mansion, years ago.   
"So, with Iron Man under investigation for murder, I’m without a bodyguard. Fair game for kidnappers, terrorists, anyone. If you could possibly…?"  
"I’d be happy to give you a crash course in the defense arts, Mr. Stark."  
"Not bad. You’re in surprisingly good shape for a desk Jockey."  
"I, um, play a lot of tennis."  
"Un, tennis, I see."  
"Nice. Good follow through. You may not be ready for prizefight just yet, but you should be able to handle street punks and the like."  
"Thanks, teach. I appreciate you taking your valuable time to help a desk Jockey with his neuroses."  
"You appreciate…? Are you kidding? Mr. Stark, When I woke up in this era, I had no one. Nothing. You gave me a purpose, somewhere to belong…You gave me a home… "  
"Wait a minute, Mr. Stark... "  
"Call me Tony."  
"Oh, Mr. St... Tony. "  
"I have a... message for Iron Man. The next time you talk to him…tell him I know he’s innocent. And tell him if he needs anything…ever…I hope he knows…I’ve got his back."  
“That means a lot to him, Cap.”  
…  
Gym, Avengers mansion, now.  
That was the first time I called him Tony. Am I really naive? For so many years, haven't I thought that Iron Man and Tony. Stark are the same one? Perhaps deep in my heart, I have known for a long time，the person who fought side by side with me and the person who gave me a home are the same one. And the Tony whom I just saw off really matter is him or not? Anyway, there's only one Tony. Stark. Only this Tony lives in my life.  
To be continued……


	8. Chapter 8

Tony 19  
Chapter 08  
Some uninhabited island in the Atlantic Ocean, now.  
Holding a bundle of sticks, Tony walked unpleasantly. "Superhero Daily", incredibly don't let me carry armor, it is really too unreasonable. He recalled the circumstances of his departure this morning.  
"This is wilderness survival training. You can't bring any technology." Steve made the announcement before the departure.  
Tony had to hand over his backpack.  
"What else?" Steve didn't buy it.  
Tony took the video game out of his pocket and handed it to Steve.  
"What else?" Steve is still not buying it.  
Tony took off his electronic watch.  
"What else?"  
"No，really not."  
"Your Avenger Card."  
"Come on, how can we communicate with each other on this island?"  
"That's the important part of the purpose of this class. We often lose electronic contact with anther Avengers, and that's when we need to create a rapport without explicit information."  
" What if the "superhero daily" situation?"  
"First of all, it is an uninhabited island, so there should be no problem. Second, if there is, it will be a real action. Besides, you're not the only one in this training. She's going to be in it, too."  
It was a girl in a golden mask. She provides assistance in recent Avengers mission, then moved into the Avengers mansion, her identity and history are a mystery, a reserve member of the Avengers.  
Jane piloted Quinjet to send them to the training ground. She and Cap sat in the front passenger seat. Tony and Mask Girl sit behind. Tony is usually popular with girls, as long as he shakes his short black hair and shows a sunny smile, few girls don't like him, but apparently this girl sitting beside him doesn't. He could not see her face； he could not read her mind. Tony didn't even know how to start a conversation. There seemed to be a barrier between them, divided them far apart， so they were silent all the way.  
Tony could only listen to Steve and Jan's conversation, and even if they lowered their voices, he could still hear what was said clearly. Because he has another watch in his other hand, and this watch is the same watch that he handled to Steve. They are a pair of watches that can be used as a point-to-point contact device. There is a button on the watch that can pop up a holographic three-dimensional image of the contacted person. The micro microphone on the other watch can be activated through this watch.  
Handled one and you'll never get another. Tony thought, a trick he'd played every time his high school teacher confiscated his "toys." Steve fell for it. Tony thought with delight. All he had to do was put his hand under his cheek fake to sleep, and their voice could be heard clearly through the watch. In fact, they can't blame him for eavesdropping. After all, he is the subject of the conversation.  
"Aren't you too hard on him? We don't need him to do so many missions. We have plenty of hands now， the day is still young， his experience can be accumulated in the battle, none of us knew how to fight on the first day." Jane said a little sadly. Tony shambled from the training room back to his room, the house wasn't that big, and the news was always spreading fast.  
" That's what I thought at first, Jane. Most of the time he just need to stay on the campus ，continues his university life. We don't need him for Avengers missions unless understaffed. Tasha probably plans to do the same. But recently he was hunted down. It is Tony·Stark being pursued, not Iron Man. So, we have to get him ready as soon as possible."  
"Pursued?!" An anxious came from Jane's face. "Have you found out who's behind this?"  
"Still not too many clues, only know that the opponent should be held high-tech tiger. That doesn't narrow things down much, A.I.M., Zodiac, Hydra... And some of Tony's old enemies, Hammer, Nefaria, Bain, Mandarin... "  
"But very few people know who is today’s Iron Man " Jane said.  
"Yes, the only people know it are almost the Avengers core, the Ex-force works member and Tony's old inner circle, James, Pepper, Happy... "  
"Remember, we're not the only ones who know about his crossing."  
"I thought of that, Kang and his lackeys knew it. But it's not Kang's way to hire killers."  
"So, you're doubting some of us... " Jane glanced out of the mask girl in the back row.  
“I didn't doubt her, if I had, I wouldn't have brought her. But Tasha is suspicious of her. She suspected that she had helped us in Kang's case that was Kang's way of putting his own people in our midst. But as I said, it's not Kang's way to hire killer. And it wouldn't benefit him to go after today’s Iron Man. I brought her here just to give her a chance to prove it to Tasha."  
"If Tony is still in," Jane sighed "I mean That Tony, pursue high-tech weapons is his stage, maybe Hank can help."  
"I think eventually only Tony himself can solve this mess, so we have to hurry up and get ready. No matter how afraid we lose him again, but we need iron man, the world needs iron man."  
Hear this, Tony's lips curled into a smile.  
Some uninhabited island in the Atlantic Ocean, now.  
Holding a bundle of sticks, Tony walked unpleasantly. Beside him was a golden mask girl. After eavesdropping the earlier conversation between Steve and Jane, he kind of understands her awkward position. Living in the Avengers mansion, not being trusted by chairwomen.  
"You know I really understand you. They don't trust me either," Tony said. " Black Widow has deliberately grounded me, Hawkeye treats me like a wicked seed.”  
"You know what? " the golden mask girl suddenly said. "I think they're right. Sooner or later, one day, you will be that person, because now you are the man. "  
“What?” Tony didn't know how he had upset her.  
"Do you think a shake of your dark hair, a sunny smile, and a little sweet compliment would make whole world girls throw herself into your arms? Maybe the previous owner of this mask will, but I won't!”  
" Did I do something wrong? Who was the previous owner of this mask?" Tony completely confused.  
“Let me read you this pile of names, Cathy·Dale, Janice Cord, Gretl·Anders, Dr·Su·Yin, Whitney·Frost, Bethany·Cabe... Either they die for you or lose everything because the love for you."  
"I don't even know them." Tony pleaded.  
"Then you definitely know the name Meredith. McCall, are you?"  
"I didn't mean to leave her behind ten years ago."  
"Yes, you didn't mean it. But after she became a vegetable state, you left her in the hospital, did you ever think of her?"  
Tony said no words. He couldn't answer. When Meredith McCall became a vegetative state, he contacted Dr. Pym to help, but after that he didn't follow up. He didn't mean to, he was just too busy...busy to upgrade armor, busy in science LABS, busy for university courses, busy join the Avenger missions and training, busy be hunting…and…busy for Steve Busy...  
"Stay away from me, playboy!" The golden mask girl hurried on, pulling away from Tony.  
At that moment, the grass out of a pile of masked ninja, a row of shuriken strikes to the girls. The girl clearly did not expect an ambush, but she reacted quickly, dodged the shuriken and knocked down two ninjas in front of her. But her opponent also clearly expected her skills. The ninja who came up behind her raised their arms, and a bunch of green smoke flew from the cuffs toward the girl. The girl struggled but fell down eventually. See the happen, Tony dropped the sticks. He remembered his watch, but it was too late. The green smoke came into him, Tony fell down, too. The ninjas took two captives, jumped into the bushes and disappeared.  
After a long time, Steve, who had not seen the two return, followed the tracks, only find a pile of scattered sticks  
He has no armor, he can't get in touch, Jane had left in a Quinjet. I’m the one who caused him to be in danger without protection again. Steve hung contrite on the ground.  
But I must calm down. Steve told himself. There's no blood. They just tied them up. Ninjutsu though ingenious, is not untraceable. Just follow their footprints, I will find him.  
To be continued……


	9. Chapter 9

Tony 19  
Chapter 09  
A secret base in a cave on some uninhabited island in the Atlantic Ocean.  
Tony was not dazzled by the green mist, why, he had not found the answer yet.  
There were too many opponents, the armor was confiscated by Steve, the only fighter golden mask girl was down. And he didn't think the self-defense skills Steve had taught him would work against these professional killers. So, he pretended to be in a coma，right into their base to find out who they are. Anyway, the wristwatch worked, and when they let down their guard, he could contact Steve with the wristwatch, hoping he wasn't too stupid to know how this thing worked. From time to time, he opened his eyes, secretly remember signs along the road, at last they came to a place of mine.  
In addition to ninjas along the way, there are some people with red masks. These ninjas may belong to The Hand in Japan, and they are more likely to be hired killers. It is not known whether the person who hired these killers was the same person who hired Whiplash. But then Tony dropped the speculation. It was obvious that they had not come after him, otherwise he would have been dead now. The men in the red masks, whom Tony did recognize, Zodiac agents，had not long ago created the black circle of New York City.  
The agents of the Zodiac. This is the second time in recent case that the zodiac has been involved. It doesn't seem simple, but Tony still can't find the key clue to all this. He continues to shut his eyes and pretend to be unconscious.  
The prison door opened and Tony was be thrown in. The man who threw him in laughed and said, "Little bug, you don't need to wait for help. Your companions have come to accompany you."  
"Hey, are you all wrong? Do I look like I'm lying? I don't have any backup. Sorry, guys, you are the collateral damage."  
"I think so." When the guards had gone, Tony opened his eyes and sat up. As expected, it was Spiderman.  
"Wow, how did you wake up so fast!"  
"Scare you? because I didn't even coma."  
"No? Dr. Octopus's poison is no ordinary ether."  
"I'm not sure why, but I think it's probably because of the implant in my chest."  
Tony lifted up his clothes.  
"Wow, you're scaring me again. There's only one person I know who has that is Tony·Stark. But he seems to be dead. I've seen him. He's definitely not your age."  
"I'm Tony·Stark. I think you as a member of the Avengers, although the reserve team, too no professional, the news is too late.”  
" You're a decade younger. What's going on? Pym's new invention, the Time Stone, or the Magic of the Scarlet Witch... "  
"Neither. In short, I am Tony Stark 10 years ago, I helped the Avengers defeat the current Tony·Stark, and then I was to take over the Iron Man."  
"Tony·Stark is Iron Man?!"  
"You're an incompetent reserve member."  
"You know, I just want to be a good neighbor, but those of the world's mightiest heroes invited me again and again, I also refused to them again and again, later, I couldn’t bear to broken their heart again and again, I'm just hang a name on the list. And why would you beat yourself up?!"  
"My own one day crazy, want to help another madman to rule the world."  
"What a mess! Fortunately, I didn't step in your guys circle too deep. So，you came to this island because…?"  
"Because Ste... Cap is taking the newcomers to wilderness survival training."  
"Why didn't I know the class? Why haven't I done it? Wait a minute, so Captain America is on the island, too. That's great. I don't have to try, I don't have to worry about it, I just have to wait for help."  
"Are you really a superhero?"  
"I'm just a little good neighbor spiderman, but now I'm in the stage of Captain America and Iron Man, so I'm going to play a supporting role in the show. "  
"You're going to be disappointed. First, I'm new Iron Man. Second, my armor was confiscated by Steve, and Now it is in the Avengers mansion; Third, Steve's super serum may not be immune to Dr. Octopus's green poison, since you're not. Fourth, he also confiscated my avengers contact card."  
"So, the situation is the one being able to immune to poison but no armor, also can't fight; but the frame one is not immune to poison. It's over, it's over."  
"I actually can fight, and I was forced to take physical combat training before survival training."  
"Is there such a lesson?! I never did it. The outcome of this course will allow you to deal with a bunch of killers outside?"  
"Obviously not. Street thugs at most."  
"Then why are you taking this course?"  
"That's what I want to ask. How did you end up here?"  
"You know, I always tension between Dr·Octopus, so I went to visit him from time to time, tone down our relationship. One day, I quietly visited, wanted to give him a pleasant surprise, accidentally discovered that he seems to be a new experiment in busy recently. I was a curious baby, wanted to find out where his lab was located, so I followed. He seems to have recently upgraded the formula for his poison, and here I am."  
"This is Dr·Octopus experimental base?"  
"I think so, but he's not at the base right now. When he comes back, we'll be extinguished."  
Dr. Octopus and the Zodiac are getting together, and it's getting weirder and weirder.  
"I think I can figure out a way to neutralize his poison, but I don't have anything in my hand right now. Ah, I hate places without technology. By the way, There is Dr·Octopus lab here. If I could just slip in... But though I can open the prison door, I cannot escape the guards."  
"What?! You can open the door, is it?!"  
"Yes, I have some little things in my sleeve."  
" If it is inconvenient for me to act, I can direct him to act, hope he is not so stupid."  
"To whom?"  
"Steve."  
"You command him?! Wait a minute, didn't you say he took your Avenger card?"  
"To avoid having all toys confiscated by teachers at school, you see?"  
"I see."  
"The watch he confiscated was actually a locator beacon too, which I had recently added this function. Because the last time I got lost on campus. I just thinking about what the heck map would be need if it can be connected to satellite direct navigation, so，I modified it."  
"You're have no sense of direction."  
"All we can hope for now is that he'll take the watch, turn on the locator on it, find us. You keep watch at the door, and I'll contact him secretly."  
Steve noticed the electronic light on the watch flashing. He expected it. Tony hold back a trick or two. He didn't know how many toys he had confiscated from That Tony, and how his little trick had escaped his notice. So, he went back to camp, put on his watch, hoped he was right. When he pressed the button, sure enough, Tony's hologram popped up.  
"Well, you're not too stupid, old man."  
"Tony, where are you?"  
"In a cave."  
"In which cave?"  
"On the way, we passed 12 common dwarf shrubs between 50-55 centimeters, 15 shrubs between 60-65 centimeters, 70-80 centimeters... Then I turned left three times, right five times, left twice, right three times... Then it got dark, and I couldn't measure the height of the bushes."  
"Tony..."  
"I'm trying to put that wilderness survival lesson you taught into practice."  
"Tony..."  
"Well, I'm locked up in a Doctor Octopus lab with Spiderman, and the Golden Mask girl is next to me. She's still in a coma, and we're all fine for now. The bad news is we've been poisoned by Dr. Octopus. The good news is I'm immune to poison, and Dr. Octopus is not currently on base."  
"I'll find you."  
"Don't rush in to save people. I'm not sure you're immune to Dr. Octopus's new poison. So, we have to make an antidote first. The watch you confiscated and the watch on my wrist now is a pair, can be directly positioned to my current position, as long as you turn the right side of a small red button lightly to the left twice, press once, then turn right twice, press a long, a short, hold down, and the left of a small blue button..."  
Ten minutes later, music, video games and video images kept popping up on the little dial. Steve couldn't open the map. He finally broke down.  
" Tony, why don't you make it simpler, instead of just messing around in it."  
" I have made it very simple, okay? You, old man can’t use it."  
"Why did you install a bunch of video games on a watch?"  
"Because I want to be able to play everywhere. We're locked up on this stupid island. I want to have some fun."  
"I think I'll do it my old way, study the ninja's footprints and trace them to your cave."  
"Oh, your old way. If it weren't for your old ways, we wouldn't be stranded on this island at all. Who confiscated my armor? Who confiscated my contact card? If I hadn’t left a piece of technology you dislike, we'd be cooked into Octopus soup by Dr. Octopus!"  
"So, you two are fighting like nobody's watching, again? Guys, we're locked up right now. As far as I know, it's a secret operation." Spiddy interposed.  
"What do you mean 'again'!"  
"Why do you think I'd rather visit Dr. Octopus's house than yours? It's too noisy."  
'I'm not him! "Tony concluded angrily.  
"But he's stills him." Spiddy said, not afraid to be shot.  
"Shh, the guards are coming." Spiddy said.  
Tony quickly pretended to be unconscious.  
The guard did not go out two steps, was directly knocked unconscious by a shield. Steve jumped down.  
"Wow, Cap, you've come to save us finally." Spiddy said.  
Tony, had heard the Spiddy, got up.  
"Don't smash the electronic lock with your shield. It will trigger an alarm." Tony hurriedly prevented Steve from further action.  
"I think you should say 'thank you'."  
" Thank you for causing us to be locked up."  
"You're welcome." Steve pretended not to hear what he said.  
"Look, if I disappear, it's going to get their attention, so this is something we have to do without anyone knowing. You can go into Dr. Octopus's lab, I'll contact you through your watch, you help me find the ingredients I need. "  
"After the tragedy you just instructed me to use your wristwatch to turn on the locator, I'm not sure you can direct me to any bottle or jar you want."  
"You..."  
"So, I have another plan. We drag this unconscious guard in there disguised as you, and then you'll follow me into the lab."  
"Oh... All right." Tony didn't want to admit that Steve's approach was better.  
Tony pulled a thin probe from his wrist watch, pushed a few buttons on the electronic lock, and the lock opened.  
"Low-end password entry, it's just too easy."  
Then he locked the door again.  
"The password." Spiddy protested.  
"Almost forgot, 477682."  
Steve is a lurker, but Tony is not.  
"Follow me closely." They leaned forward along the wall.  
The base is large with many openings.  
"Do you know where the lab is?"  
"Not yet." Steve said, "But we can ask someone."  
With those words, he attacked a guard in a red mask from behind and put his elbow around his neck.  
"Where's Dr. Octopus's lab?"  
The terrified guard points to the second hole on the right. Steve knocks him unconscious, drags him into the shadows.  
They went into the laboratory, and sure enough, there were a lot of bottles and cans.  
"Quick, we don't have much time. I'll watch for you at the door."  
Tony does not know what to do with a pile of bottles and cans. He takes samples from the blood of the Spiddy and the golden mask girl. But cell biology is not his area of expertise. Dr. Pym and Dr. Banner are, and it's a little difficult for him to come up with an antidote in such a short time. But he's immune... Not by neutralizing the poison, but by an implant in the chest. Whatever, he took apart his chest implant to find out why he was immune to the poison.  
“Tony, what are you doing?!" Steve, next to him, obviously saw what he was doing.  
"It's no time to explain. I have a theory."  
Sure enough, the chest implant has a tiny adsorbent screen that filters out toxins. So Now I don't need to neutralize the poison, I just need to filter it out before it gets into Steve's blood.  
"Tony, Dr. Octopus is coming this way. Do you mix the antidote?" Steve asked anxiously.  
There's no time for an antidote, and there's only one filter...  
" Listen, there is only one way right now. I will put the filter in my chest into a mask for you to wear, and you will be immune to his poison."  
"That you..."  
"I'm not immune."  
"Tony! There must be another way!"  
"You can fight, and I have no armor. No time to argue! And I've taken it down." He put a mask over Steve's face.  
“Who's sneaked into my laboratory!”  
Doctor Octopus waves at Steve with his robotic claws, and a lot of green smoke comes out of his PAWS. Green smoke burst into the laboratory immediately，floated in front of Tony.  
"One more thing, removing the filter will probably have some effect on the backup power on my implant, so you'd better fix the case before it run out of power."  
"What?! Tony!"  
"I believe you..." Tony fell slowly.  
To be continued……


	10. Chapter 10

Tony 19  
Chapter 10  
A secret base in a cave on some uninhabited island in the Atlantic Ocean.  
“Tony, wake up!”  
Tony slowly opened his eyes. Steve's face zoomed in front of him. The effects of the poison were still on him.  
"You did something stupid again."  
"I... I'm not... In order to you...to do......"  
"I'll help you up. There should be a power supply in the base to charge your implant."  
Tony didn't resist this time. Instead, he put his arm around Steve's shoulder and leaned on him as he walked. They passed Dr. Octopus, who was already creaking and sparkling in the doorway of the lab, and then they passed the ninjas and Zodiac agents, who were slumped various in the cave.  
"Wow, I'm really impressed! You knocked them all down by yourself!" Tony, recovering a little strength, joking.  
"Oh, I'm a bit pressed for time today."  
Tony found a power source to recharge his chest implant. While Tony was recharging, Steve let Spider-Man out, even though he could have done it himself.  
"I've contacted the Avengers via the comm unit here. Giant Man is on his way. He should be able to make an antidote. You all will be fine."  
"I knew it, I knew it, I didn't have to try this time! You're so awesome, I'm staring straight at you. I completely forgot to open the door for myself." Spider-Man Said.  
Spiderman was still talking, and Steve couldn't hear him. Something occurred to him, so he went back to Tony, who was absorbed in playing the game on his watch now.  
"Tony."  
"Ah, ah, dead, dead, level 131... You've come at a bad time. Ever since I've had that dump thing on my heart, I've been like a prisoner, spending hours every day recharging my implant, doing nothing but playing video games."  
"But it can save your life. Good thing he gave us the chest implant just before he died, or else we even don't know how to save you. And he saved you once today, saved us once."  
" Yeah, almost pierced my heart, caused me to need this thing to sustain my life, do you remember the name of the person? What is his name? By the way, his name is ‘Tony Stark’ "  
"Remember to put it back. Maybe you'll need it again someday." Steve handed Tony the mask. "The irony is that he didn't make the device to filter poison, he did it to filter alcohol. It turned out to be effective against countless poisons, but not alcohol. And his drinking problem is getting worse..." Steve's mind drifted a little further.  
"Maybe if I modified it, it would filter the alcohol." Tony said only jokingly.  
"Don't drink, Tony, absolutely don’t do it." Steve suddenly became serious.

The golden mask girl's words had been ringing in Tony's ears ever since he came back from the uninhabited Island. He tried to shake it out of his head.   
I'm not an irresponsible playboy, I'm not him. So, Tony cut out almost everything, stayed in the lab. With Dr. Pym's help, they finally broke through. Professor Elden waked. Tony cheered, hugged Dr. Pym.  
But she lost all her memories. In her eyes Tony was just a stranger. Tony didn't know whether to be happy or disappointed. After all, she was his first love. With the loss of her memory, Tony lost an important link to his past, and his past self was drifting away.

Having settled the matter, a great deal of weight fell off Tony's mind, although his life was still busy. Steve didn't urge Tony to take any training sessions after coming back from the island, so Tony didn't see him very often. Although they are both on the Avengers roster, they rarely go on missions together. Captain America is clearly a busy career, with S.H.I.E.L.D. 's work, dealing with enemies who come to visit.  
Tony was busy with his university life, with lots of course, experiments and inventions. He sold several patents to get some money, to create a digital technology company. Like all the new technology generations of the information industry in the 1990s, he yearned for California's Silicon Valley in this era of the boom, which made him more certain that he would not go on to become a weapons-maker, definitely not become ‘him’.  
Tony's social life is rich, too. He's even taken up tennis to make himself less of a pale lab boy. This obviously made him more popular. Many girls wrote down their phone numbers on his hand. At this time, one girl named Kris·DeGann came into his life. She worked as a plane model and used her modeling income to pay for her university education. Her efferent enthusiasm infected Tony, warmed up him in this summer. When she was around, Tony's throbbing made him convinced that the feeling that Steve got close to him in the training room that day was just his own hallucinations, and it didn’t really happen. So, Tony threw himself into his real life, ready to embark on a passionate campus romance. And then something happened that made everything go wrong...  
The Manhattan Metropolitan Museum of Art, now.  
On a dark and windy night, a few black figures, nimbly bypassing the searchlight on the museum roof, entered through the skylight. The alarm device around the skylight did not go off."  
“On the east wing. Go down this staircase. Keep up." Said one of the figures.  
Several figures moved on, and the security guard in the hall fell asleep in his chair. They slipping lightly under his eyes.  
"Relax guys, it's going to take a while for the backup power to start up. "One figure said to the others.  
"It's so easy. We've never touched this layer before."  
They arrived at the target smoothly, a painting by Picasso.  
“It's the right size and weight. I got it exactly. I just need to slide it down to replace the original one. It won't set off the alarm.”  
Just then, a guard's flashlight hit the thieves.  
"Thieves! Don't try to run!" The guard Shouted, instantly triggering the alarm. The thieves, who appeared to be familiar with the museum's construction, had already made their way to the unblocked exits. The guard who arrived later only caught the one in front of him holding the painting.  
"Don't move. Put the painting slowly beside your feet and raise your hands."  
The thief, holding the painting, turned slowly, his young face illuminated by the flash of electric torch.  
"My name is Tony·Stark, I think I need a lawyer." Tony said awkwardly.  
To be continued……


	11. Chapter 11

Tony 19  
Chapter 11  
It was past midnight and the lobby of the New York Police Department was still crowded, and officers were busy.  
"Today a bunch of thieves broke into the art museum in your area, stole Picasso's painting. I thought it would never happen again." Said a policeman.  
"So do I. Rush's fraternity at Columbia won't give us any more trouble. We're all on high alert this time of year because their fraternity's induction ceremony is a theft of Picasso paintings from the museum. These mischievous rascal！Since we updated the alarm, it's been almost 20 years since anyone has managed to infiltrate the museum. All the alarm devices failed today, and we almost let them succeed.  
"My name is Kris·DeGann, I'm here to bail Tony·Stark." A girl with short brown hair, shiny brown eyes, wearing a jacket, jeans and sneakers, said to the police.  
"Seem to have seen you before. I remember, this magazine." A policeman held up a magazine, and the model in that magazine was dressed a little bit.  
"I think you've got the wrong person. I'm an exchange student from London." Kris bowed her head in embarrassment. She thought, when I bail him out, I will kill this bastard.  
Tony, now in prison, was depressed. Yesterday he drank a dozen beers, and when his head got hot, he promised to take the Rush Brotherhood’s rookies to steal the painting, but he was arrested. I had the potential to be a criminal. I had a criminal record by now. I don’t have to be 29 to become a big badass. Compared to me, he's a saint. He's been Iron Man for years.  
Tony's head was still a little dizzy and his stomach was still churning. Just then Kris appeared at the door of the cell.  
"Lucky for you, boy, someone's coming to bail you out." Said a policeman.  
"Kris!” Tony cried in surprise.  
The streets of New York City were empty in the wee hours of morning. Kris drove Tony in the open car. The night wind ruffled his hair. He felt very comfortable.  
"How wonderful! I thought I was going to rot in jail tonight. You have no idea how glad I am to see you! I owe you one big favor today."  
"Don't thank me. The frat guys made me bail you out." Kris gave Tony a white glance.  
"Bail, I'll pay you back."  
"Don't worry, the frat is prepared for this kind of thing."  
"Aha…” Tony was happy again, his depression gone. He would have kissed the girl in front of him if he hadn't been in such a mess.  
They went back to Columbia. Tony was going back to his dorm.  
"I'm going back，change and get some sleep. Yesterday's beer made me a little dizzy."  
"Don't go back yet. Come with me." Kris dragged Tony away without argue. "Trust me, there are surprises."  
Tony was dragged away by her. She turned a few corners and pushed open the door of Rush's Fraternity house.  
“Surprise!”  
“Party! Party!”  
"Our hero is back!  
Tony was surrounded by a group of fraternity brothers who had been waiting for him for some time.  
"You are too good to give us up." Benjamin Brennan, the President of the Rush Fraternity, came up and hugged Tony.  
"Here, let me introduce you. This is Coop, and this is Friedman, and our good brother Boyle. We'll be one family."  
"Wait, Benji, I didn't say I wanted to join... I'd actually like to go back..."  
"Tony, don't be a wet blanket. Look, the sororities are here today. Lots of beautiful girls are waiting to meet you." Benjamin whispered in Tony's ear.  
"I am Mags. We've met before." A blonde came up to Tony. He never knew how to say no to beautiful girls.  
"I remember you." Tony said quickly.  
Kris, next to him, is a little upset at Tony.  
"Come on, come on, I'll show you the glorious history of our brotherhood." Benjamin pulls Tony along. Tony looks back at Kris, hoping she won't take it too hard.  
On the second floor, pictures of fraternity members hang on the walls. Benjamin gushed, "This is Haney·Here，Class of '77, He is the last person to break into the museum before you."  
"This is Sonny Spencer, class of '68."  
“That Sonny Spencer?”  
"That's him. He was famous long before the‘Stoney’ flicks."  
"This is a picture of us winning Goal on the state final last year. "  
"The history of our brotherhood is full of glory, and your mind will help us continue that glory." Benjamin went on. While a scream came from downstairs.  
“Fire!”  
“Fire!”  
The crowd on the ground floor was in a mess. The flames and smoke drifting up to the second floor. Tony's head began to clear a little. He realized what had happened. By the way, where is the backpack? He had too much drink yesterday, and they had poured him a few more bottles just now. He had forgotten all about the backpack. Where is the backpack? By the way, he left the backpack on the sports car. Sure enough, I was a rookie superhero, once again forgot to take my armor with me. I have to find my backpack, put on my armor where no one is looking.  
"Benji, you call 911, I'll go downstairs and evacuate the crowd!" Tony said. Then he quickly looked for the fire escape passage on the second floor. He pushed hard on it, but the door was stuck. So, he rushed to the bathroom next door, tried to open the bathroom window, which also got stuck. He looked out, saw that the door of the fire escape was soldered, no wonder it couldn't be opened from the inside. The window was about two to three meters away from the railing of the fire escape. Jump over it! He could come up with other options, Tony decided to take a gamble. He punched the window out of the larger space, tried to squeeze in. The jagged edges of the unfinished glass scratched his bare arm, and blood ran down. He can't care too much at this time. He squeezed out, dug his fingers into the brick wall, stood with his feet to the side on the narrow window sill. With hard legs, he jumped in the fire escape.  
Whew! Clang! Tony hung in mid-air with his arms around the railing of the fire escape. Playing tennis gave him a great boost in his arms. He pushed arms hard, turned sideways, and jumped into the fire escape. The door to the fire escape is blocked. It can't be opened by human hands. Tony needs his armor. He ran down the aisle, trying to find the red sports car.  
Where the hell is the car? I must find the armor quickly.  
After too many drinks and several sleepless nights, Tony wasn't paying attention when he got out of the car. He was trying to piece together his memories...  
Tony ran through the crowd streaming out of the front door of the burning building, looking for... Red sports car, red sports car, not this one, not this one... Got it! He grabbed his backpack, ran to the stairwell of a villa opposite, put it on his back, and pressed the button across his chest, which connected to the implant in his chest. The armor unfolded.  
Tony Stark has become Iron Man, and the sense of helplessness has gone. Tony feels like he's in control. Iron Man can handle this mess. It's just a little fire, isn't it? It's just a little fire...

From above, he looked down, the flames reached the second floor. Thick smoke blocked Tony's view. He raised his gantlets, started the air swirl, blowing the smoke.  
All the fire emergency passages had been soldered to death. The crowd trapped by the fire had to escape through the front door. The kids, who had been half drunk and half awakened awakes. Someone had fallen, and the one behind had stepped on the one in front. The fire didn't look like an accident. Someone started it on purpose. But now Tony had no time to catch the arsonist. Saving lives came first. He swooped down, breaking through the welded-down emergency fire exits. The crowd of trapped people streaming out of the new passages.  
Wait a minute, Kris... The brown-haired girl was in Tony's head. She was nowhere to be seen. She hadn't come out yet. Tony rushes into the fire, black smoke impairs his vision, and he switches on an infrared scan. Must find her. Must save her...  
Yes, there she was, slumped in a corner. Tony ran at her. The armor system diagnosed her immediately. Her signs were normal, just a few bruises. She was briefly unconscious.  
I'll get her to safety first, Tony thought. He picking her up and flying her out of the burning building. There was an attic in the building opposite. Tony went down through the skylight.  
"Kris, you stay here. It should be safe from the fire. I have to get back to rescue." Kris is still in a coma.  
Tony didn't look closely at the attic situation. He dropped Kris and flew back. By the time he returned, the main structure of the burning building had begun to collapse, trapping people and leaving fire engines some distance away.  
I must put out the fire quickly so that I can avoid more casualties. Tony thought.  
Right! Tony had a light bulb moment. I was able to breathe easily when I ran into the fire, because my armor had an oxygen supply. If I made a force field, sucked the oxygen out of the area of fire, it would extinguish the fire quickly. There's a downside to this, of course, people in the force field temporarily lose their oxygen, but if I do it fast enough, they'll wake up in a coma at best. The more Tony thought about it, the more he thought it was a good idea. He flew over the building, started an electromagnetic vortex, covered the building in an electromagnetic field, disintegrate the oxygen in it.  
He was fast, and in less than a minute, the fire lost its power, grew smaller, leaving only a sprinkling of flame and electromagnetic sparks floating in the air. Some people fainted, but then filled with the incoming air, allowing them to constantly wake up. The ambulance and fireman had arrived at this time.  
Well done, well done, Tony smiled pompously, no one died, no one was in seriously hurt, and I did... And so on... Hang on…Oxygen... Spark... Air flow...  
Where did I put Kris just now... There seems to be something else in that attic... Tony calls up the video device in the armor...  
Oh, My World! I put her in the middle of a pile of oxygen, helium, and nitrogen tanks! He flew into the attic immediately, but it all happened so fast... A loud bang, the whole attic exploded.  
To be continued……


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12  
Avengers Mansion, 15 hours ago  
The recent continuous task let the members are more tired, Tasha decided to give everyone a day off, of course, someone must stay on duty, to deal with the emergency.  
"I can stay. I don't need a break." Vision said.  
When Wanda heard this, disappointment came into her eyes. Steve was perceptive, so he put aside the idea of visiting the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C., and said, "I don't have anything in particular in mind. Tea, painting and a quiet day is a vacation for me."  
"Cap, it’s really hard for me to understand you. You're a terrible ascetic. I'll take the opportunity to go out ，find girls ，be happy and be happy." Clint interposed.  
"Are you sure, Cap?" "Asked Tasha.  
"Yes, leave it to me. You all go out, enjoy."  
It was a quiet day at The Avengers Mansion, no urgent task, no calls. Steve put down his paintbrush. It was already past midnight, perhaps too calm, so his thoughts stirred. He could not sleep.  
Usually crowded lively house now seems a little empty, the others have not come back, a rare holiday, they are enjoying a day outside the life of ordinary people. He and Jarvis were left alone in the house. By this time Jarvis had gone to bed. Worked every day for the Avengers, he needed a vacation, too. So, Steve tiptoed across the hall to the kitchen, get himself a drink. He sat down on a chair in the living room, looked around at the pictures of the past, his mind drifting away again. And just as he was half-asleep, the phone rang wildly. The living room clock struck two. This is a daily contact phone, and the only person who answers it is Jarvis. The Avengers has a special contact channel, so it's not an emergency. Steve really can't think of anyone who needs Jarvis at 2 am, but he doesn't want to wake him up, so he answers the phone.  
The caller had apparently decided that it’s Jarvis answer the phone.  
"Jarvis, I screwed up. I really screwed up this time. I..... I..... I had no idea... I was busy acting like a hero... I killed her, I killed her... It's all my fault, I'm a murderer..." The caller repeating this sentence, pounding of the wall. "I am a murderer"  
"Tony, just calm down, tell me where you are." Steve already recognized who was on the phone.  
But Tony didn't recognize the person who was answering the phone. He was too flustered.  
"Maria Hospital, outside the SICU."  
"You calm down first, not to despair, stay there, I will find you."  
Steve rode off into the night on his motorcycle.  
Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Maria Hospital, now.  
Tony was sitting on a bench in the corner out of the SICU, elbows on his knees, hands on his head, fingers deep in his hair. His arm was covered with blood, and the wound turned up, with fragments of glass in it. The nurses passed by, repeatedly reminded him to deal with it. But Tony, overwhelmed with remorse and fear, refused to listen. And that's exactly what Steve saw when he walked in.  
Steve did not speak. He sat quietly beside Tony. Tony felt someone sitting next to him. Subconsciously, he thought it was Jarvis. Without thinking, he hugged the man next to him.  
"Jarvis, finally, you came." Tony began to cry. "You warned me... You all reminded me that... I shouldn't have been drinking... But I think you're all overreacting. I'm acting on my own. I think I can control it, but I can't... I'm absolute a bad seed. I'm him. No, I'm not him. I'm worse than him. Don't wait to 29. don't need Kang's corruption. I'm a murderer now…"  
Tony cried for a long time. At last he felt something wrong. It did not seem to be Jarvis that he was holding. The contours of the chest and the warmth of the hands that beat on his back were familiar to him. A thought flashed through his mind, but he did not want to look up at the fact. He stopped crying and froze. Steve sensed Tony's stiffness too, so he broke the silence.  
"Let's go and sort out your wound. Then. Could you tell me slowly what happened?"  
"I... All right."  
Tony stood up and followed Steve to the emergency room next door. During the doctor's treatment of the wound, apart from answering the doctor's questions, Tony didn't say a word. Steve didn't break the ice.  
An hour later Tony came out with his arms bandaged. He refused the doctor's recommendation in hospital for observation. He wouldn't go anywhere until Kris was out of danger, so he sat down in the corner chair next to the resuscitation room. Steve still sitting next to him.  
"I drank a lot of wine, a lot of wine. You told me not to drink, but the more you said it, the less I wanted to listen to it. I kept saying to myself, I'm not him, I want to prove to you, to all of you, That I'm not him. I can control myself. I know when to stop.  
You know, in Univ, there's always one party after another. By the time I start drinking my 10th beer, I can't remember how much I've had. Then I think I can do anything. I took the frat boys on a prank. I went to jail. Got bailed out, I didn't learn my lesson. I kept drinking and clowning around with them, forgetting that I am Iron Man, not just a dumb Univ kid.  
And then there was a fire. How could a small fire be Iron Man? Without even thinking, I put on armor to be a hero, played the role save beauty. I put the unconscious Kris in the attic of the building opposite, without paying close attention to the environment, which was filled with tanks of oxygen, helium, and nitrogen. I covered the fire with an electric magnetic field, separated the oxygen. The fire went out, but the air was filled with electrical sparks. The sparks flew across the way. When I hurried over, although I used the shield to withstand most of the explosion, Kris was still hit by the falling object. I took her to the hospital. Unclear if she's alive or dead, now.  
Too bad, Aha? Last time I flung nearly killed Meredith, while this time the victim is Kris. How many such mistakes must I make before I can recognize the fact that I am not him at all, and I will never be him. Because I am far behind him, I'm not a hero. I simply don't deserve Iron Man, don't deserve the Avengers. I am just a dazed, confused, conceit, arrogance, selfish bastard!"  
Having vented his anger on himself, Tony sank into depression again.   
"These happened, So... So, however, I have decided to take off my armor, resign my position as the Avengers, leave the Avengers Mansion, leave all your sight Forever... Maybe I should go back to MIT, to California, to anywhere..."  
"Listen, Tony, no one is perfect, no one makes no mistakes. Superheroes are just normal in uniform trying to save the world." Steve said.  
But the consolation didn't work. Against the brilliance of Captain America, Tony felt more and more gloomy and small.  
"You won't make a mistake, you'll never make a mistake, or at least you won't make a mistake like mine, a mistake worse than any I've ever made, you won't. You're Mr. Perfect. The perfect captain, the perfect hero... Are you?"  
"I'm not, I'm... No, I've done worse things, I've made worse mistakes, and I'm making a mistake right now... Tony... I..... You know, I..." A long pause.  
Steve turned his body to Tony, holding Tony's shoulders with hands, slowly turning Tony's body towards him. Tony confused, but he didn't resist. He faced to Steve.  
"Tony, look at me. I want to ask you something."  
Steve's right hand slowly raised, swept Tony’s hair lightly, slid along his face angle to ear, then supported his face with palm. His blue eyes were fixed on Tony's. His other hand’s thumb gently wiped the tears from Tony's eye, ran across his cheek, ran across his labial angle, stopped between his lips, rubbing them around.  
Tony froze. The same feverish. Surreal feeling that he had felt that day in the simulation training room back into Tony's blood. He couldn't feel his own heartbeat; he couldn't feel his own breath; he couldn't even feel anything around himself. He forgot, he forgot it was the door to the hospital UICU; he forgot all the mess had happened recently; he forgot Kris. All he could feel was Steve. He felt his breath, felt his heartbeat, felt the rough callus with thumb resting his lips. He could only hear his words, some kinds of warm thick, mixed with a hint of hoarseness now. He could only see his Adam's Apple rolling, lips opening and closing, sadness rising in blue eyes.  
"Tony, Tony, please don't leave me, don't leave me."  
Tony, are you drunk again? Or do you never wake up? Only this time Tony didn't close his own eyes. He wondered if it just happened because he didn't close eyes. As Steve pressed his lips to him, Tony felt he had been waiting for this moment a hundred or a thousand years. There was so much enthusiasm longing in the waiting time. So, he put his hands around Steve's back, put his body nearly to him, so close…He could feel the heat from his skin, could use his own chest to draw the outline of his muscles. So, he opened his mouth as much as possible without breathing; he lifted his own tongue, allowed his to pass, allowed it slid his teeth over and over again; he chased every tingling shudder that each time brought. Tony still didn't close his own eyes. He was afraid to close eyes, even for a moment, everything would disappear, he would disappear, this Steve would disappear.  
But…the kiss ended. The door opened. The moment they separated, Tony could still see the eagerness in Steve's eyes, his eagerness, and his own eagerness reflected in his eyes.  
To be continued……


	13. Chapter 13

Tony 19  
Chapter 13  
Maria Hospital.  
" Which one of you is related to Kris·DeGann?"  
Tony looked back at Steve, stepped forward.  
"I'm her friend, she's an exchange student from London, it's an emergency, I haven't been able to contact her family."  
"She is out of danger need to be hospitalized for a few more days. You can go in see her now, but don't stay too long. She needs a rest.”  
Before followed the doctor into the ward, Tony looked back at Steve again.  
Kris was awake by this time, still a little pale. She tried to crack a smile when she saw Tony.  
“Thank you for saving me, Tony. I passed out in the middle of the fire. I don't remember anything. I woke up here."  
"Don't thank me. I came at a call. Iron Man sent you."  
"Then I should thank him."  
"In fact, before he left, he asked me to tell you that he was sorry he couldn't handle it better, he hurt you."  
"It wasn't his fault. He didn't start the fire. He has only one person, so many people have to be saved. Is everybody okay? Oh, Tony, your arm."  
"A little scratch, bandaged, all right, fine."  
"Thank God, Iron Man being around, everyone got out of there. And thank you, Tony, being injured but staying out of SICU room all night." Kris touched Tony's hand on her sickbed. A little blush came over her face.  
Tony knew it was a sign that a girl was craving a kiss. He never wanted to disappoint a girl, especially the one he would throb with. So, Tony leaned down, gave Kris a gentle kiss on her pale lips.  
But now Tony was full of Steve. The wave that he had just gone through was still in Tony's blood, eating away the throbs he had been from Kris. So, he involuntarily looked toward the door again, did not notice the disappointment in Kris's eyes.  
"Tony, you should be tired. Go back and rest. I'm all right."  
"If you need anything?" Tony said as gently and patiently as he could.  
"I'm tired, too. I want to sleep a little longer."  
“The doctor did tell me not to stay long. I'll come back to see you again, I promise.” Tony tried not to look too eager as he left the room.  
When he finally pushed open the door and looked at the bench they had just sat on, Steve was gone.  
He's gone, he's gone! All Tony's eagerness gave way to deep disappointment, then to raging anger.  
The coward, he ran away, he ran away. When I see him again, he will pretend that nothing had happened, that he is a thoughtful, comfortable, considerate, steadiness, kindness captain and mentor. I will feel that it was all an illusion, again！  
The streets of New York City.  
The night color is thick before dawn. New York, noisy city, was also a little quiet, only drunks and stray cats crossing the streets now. A motorbike was speeding along, smoothly skirting the yellow taxi on the main road，weaving into the lane. Although there were few vehicles and no traffic jams at this time, Steve still took a short cut，rushed to get back to the mansion.  
Just as he had turned into a rarely visited street, a line of rays had fallen from the sky; the road was suddenly potholed. He reacted quickly, braked hard, swung the motorbike. The wheels careened to the ground; sparks flew with a creak.  
Steve propped his motorbike on one foot, looked up into the air; the Golden Knight descending from the sky, hovered with jet boots in front of Steve. Through the mask, Steve could not see the expression of the man inside. But iron man raised his gantlets toward him, the repulsors emitted from the ring of his palm, that was hissing. This posture is indicative of the current mood of the armor pilot.  
"Tony, calm down." Steve cut into the team's safe contact channel.  
"I don't want to be calm down. In this time, I am be told to calm down by you. Who wasn't calm at first? You think anyone all have a switch, just like you, to quickly switch between cool and not cool. "  
"We'll talk when you cool off." Steve turned around, crossed the lane on his right into another street. Other rays fell down from the sky, caving in the road in front of Steve.  
"Coward. Will you know to escape only?"  
"I didn't escape. I just want to go back..."  
"Go back and do what? It's raining you have to rush home to collect the clothes, or suddenly remember to leave the stove on before went out." Another corner of the road collapsed under the rays.  
"Tony, stop messing about, I really need to..."  
"In eldership mode again, Cap? Treating me like a child again? That's not how you behaved before."  
"Tony, I don't want to fight you."  
"But I want to fight you!"  
"Well, at least let's go into the large open place."  
Central Park, New York City.  
Tony is so unrelenting angry, fired repulsors straight to Steve. Steve ducked quickly. The rays damaged the turf, leaving lots of holes. Iron man was moving fast, and the sonar blast was shooting from Steve's front. Steve held up his shield to hold it off. Branches of trees were clattering away. The fallen leaves disturbed Steve's view and slowed him down. At the same time, iron man swooped down from the sky, hit Steve with an iron fist. Steve raised his shield with both hands. The acceleration of gravity and the power of the jet boots make this attack very powerful. The iron fist hit the shield hard. A loud thud. A hissing spark. The shield was dented a little. Steve backed away from the impact, leaving a trail of scratches on the grass.  
"Tony, you broke my shield."  
"I made it, didn't I?  
"Not technically. Your future self just fixed it."  
"Now I can fix it if I want to, but I don't have to fix it for you. You'd better use it carefully." With that words, Tony flew to Steve's right, and he hit him with an iron fist. Steve leaned back to dodge the attack.  
But by this time Tony was in front of him, this time attacking his stomach. Steve dodged the attack with a back flip.  
"Good fight, almost graduate."  
"Only almost, old man? If you just play tricks, can't get away with it today."  
"I'm not all goofy, but you'll eat my goofy."  
Steve said, throwing the shield out and heading for the weak spot where the ironman's elbow was connected. Tony leaned out of the way. But Steve's trick was a sham. The shield was just trying to get his opponent's attention, which was his usual tactic. In fact, he had already gone around the back of iron man, kicked hard at the right knee of the armor. This time iron man didn't get out of the way and was been kicked straight. Tony lost balance, lurched forward two steps. Before he could control his balance, Steve, who had caught the shield, raised it and hit the ironman's left knee. The joint is always the weak point of the armor, and if be hit this time, the armor will be damaged at least 30% more. It was too late for Tony to duck, so he fired his jet boots. The armor crashed into the trees. Trees were smashed into each other, but the impact of the armor was lessened; iron man fell to the ground hard.  
"Run the diagnosis." Tony's voice - controlled armor. Data displayed on the screen in front of him.  
Externally, the damage rate is 5%; The main functions are intact; Energy reserves remaining 73.2%.  
Tricks, eh? Tony lay motionless on the ground.  
"Turn on infrared, scan for humanoid creatures within 54.6 yards. Activate Vibranium scan to locate the combination of Vibranium and humanoid creature. If the creature is moving faster than Mach 0.09, start the shield."  
On the screen, a humanoid creature with a shield is approaching the iron man from a 42.5-degree Angle at a speed of 0.5 meters per second. He wasn't moving fast enough and obviously tentatively. Tony decided to take a gamble.  
“Tony?” Steve's voice came from the team channel.  
Steve was only 0.8 meters away from Tony, but Tony remained motionless.  
"Tony, are you, all right?” There was already anxiety in Steve's voice.  
Tony still didn't answer, but the corners of his mouth were slightly turned up.  
In Steve's hand touching the armor, Tony launched the booster device on the gauntlets, turned, hold Steve; at the same time a repulsor fired flew off Steve’s shield; gauntlets pressed his wrist, put on either side of his head. The whole action took only a second.  
"Do you concede this time? Old man." Tony said as he opened his mask.  
"I give up." Steve's voice was dejected, but his blue eyes were smiling.  
Tony saw a smile face reflected from Steve's blue eyes. So, Tony straightened his face.  
"No more of those little toys he built to help you in the simulation room this time. You're not going to beat my new upgrade armor with the same old tactics."  
"But this is the only time you can beat me."  
"How is that possible?!"  
"You've given up your armor, you've given up Iron Man, you've given up the Avengers."  
"That...... I've changed my mind."  
“Is it?”  
"Ahem... Not because of you, not because you begged me pitifully, not at all. It was only because Kris woke up. She reminded me that Iron Man was just there caused so many people got out of danger. I think it's better for me to continue him to exist."  
"Did I beg you?"  
"How dare you... Not only asked me, but... Ahem......"  
"And what else? How come I don't remember anything? Maybe you hit me too hard, broke my head."  
"You lied. Captain America lied."  
The smile in Steve's eyes was widening. He might have been trying not to laugh. Tony knew he had been fooled.  
"Well, let me help you remember, Old...Man..." Tony calmed his voice, raised his eyebrows, and slowly lengthened the title.  
Steve's smile stopped. He saw the sparks in Tony's eyes. His voice grew deep, too, with a hint of defiance in it.  
"You help me recall. I am now under your pressure. I can do nothing."  
Tony held on to Steve's hand, sitting astride him, looking down on him. He bent down slowly and gave the old man a gentle kiss. When he wanted to get up, he felt Steve's tongue brush lightly across his lips. A sign of inquiry, so he stepped in again, opened mouth gently, greeted his inquiry, danced with his tongue, and exchanged eagerness for each other. The kiss grew hot and warm. Without being interrupted, it lasted a long, long time.  
When Tony stoop up, he felt that Steve's wrist should be crushed by him, but he had no intention of letting go. This position gave him a sense of psychological superiority, a sense of control. It was a good thing he had not given up his armor, or he would never have been able to beat him and keep him down like this. So，he took the advantage of this posture，began to ask.  
"So，you didn't lose your memory?"  
"I didn't."  
"You're not trying to pretend that nothing happened?"  
"I didn't."  
“Why did you run away from the hospital?”  
"I didn't run away."  
“Why did you leave?”  
"Tasha was giving everyone the day off, I was staying on duty. When your call came, I rushed out without thinking... Kris is out of danger, your side is stable, I must hurry back."  
"So... Is actually... You went AWOL? You absent without leave because of me? And I stopped you halfway and made you stay away longer?"  
"Yep. I told you I make mistakes a lot."  
"I... Let's go back."  
"Then you have to let me go, get my motorbike."  
"You mean that motorbike?" Tony said as he fired a repulsor at the motorbike, which fell apart in a split second.  
"Tony?!"  
"Oops, it's broken now, you don't have to think about it anymore."  
"How am I going to get back?!"  
"I will carry you back. The average speed of my armor is 490.028 times of your motorbike. Aren't you hush to get back?" Tony picks up Steve, heads for the Avengers mansion. Steve was still thinking about his motorbike on air.  
"But why did you break it? I still use it. I can't call your armor like a taxi."  
“In theory, if I upgrade it, I could even build your own travel kitty.”  
"I want to ride a motorbike, not an armor cat."  
"Well, I could build a repulsion flightable vehicle that would be 100 times faster than the one you have now."  
"I want my old one."  
"It's beyond repair."  
"Tony Stark?!"  
"Well, well, I'll make one just like it. I'm a master mechanic, not some kind of bike repairer.  
"So, you shouldn't have broken it."  
"Oh, My World! you are a primitive, boring, backward, completely out of touch Times. By the way, shouldn't we be enjoying some delicate moment in the first sneaky taste or second, or whatever?  
"Until you broke my motorbike for no reason, and you broke my shield. Ah, my shield, you just sent it flying and it landed in Central Park."  
"Shall I make you another one?"  
"..."  
"Obviously not. Well, let's go and get it back." Tony turned around，headed for Central Park.  
It was dawn. Steve looking down on Central Park.  
"One more thing, we ruined Central Park."  
"I will call Maria Foundation."  
...  
Central Park, early morning.  
A row of trees fell, and a number of potholes were smashed into the ground; black smoke was still in many places. People who exercise in early morning are not surprised to see this.  
"So, Hulk is near around again?” Said one.  
"Not this time. My cousin saw Iron Man and Captain America fighting in Central Park about an hour ago." Said another.  
"Infighting among the founders. Is this the prelude to the dissolution of the Avengers?"  
"They sort of worked it out. Iron Man flew off with Captain America in his arms."  
To be continued……


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14  
New York City, late at night.  
Spiderman swings his gossamer threads between skyscrapers. He was clearly in a hurry. Next to him is Iron Man flying at Mach 0.1.  
"You're so slowing down, Spidy. I've been thinking of building you a spider-armor to speed you up." Tony complained.  
"Wow, I know it pays to work for rich people. When can I get it? I've been putting off important appointments to support you."  
"Get clothes from the dry cleaners for the crazy old man editor of the Daily Bugle，if you call this a date, you have a great taste."  
"Well, you know I need money. Wait a minute. If you know what I was supposed to do today, that means you know who I am. It's over, it's over, my secret's out."  
"You already know mine, so it's time to exchange CARDS."  
"How do you know? Oh, right, there's no system you can't hack into. But my real identity is not in any system. How on earth do you know that?"  
"It's not like I just hack into computer systems. Let's just say I did a little research on the Avengers."  
"I should never have joined this organization."  
"But then again, there are systems that I can't hack into remotely. If the system is a highly encrypted internal local area network, I have to operate locally, or I won't call you for support."  
"Where are the other Avengers?"  
"The permanent staff are out on duty. And this is a business for Stark Enterprises. It's a private matter. It's not for them to meddle in."  
"Am I fit to intervene?"  
"Aha! At Dr. Octopus's lab, I almost lost my life trying to save you."  
"To save me? Well, I was sort of saved by accident. But aren't you supposed to have a sidekick called War Machine?"  
"He's a boring old man in strange alien armor. I don't want to hook with him."  
"But you hooked up an old man 50 years older or more. Oh, my God. Why would I know that?!"  
"Because you're so slow and I'm so bored waiting for you. I need to say something."  
"Well, you don't have to start off with a revelation like that. We don't really know each other very well, you know."  
" Who made the superhero circle I know so far, only you and me are similar in age? And after we lived and died together, it was considered a close friend of life."  
"My fault, it's all my fault. Oh, my God, Iron Man and Captain America, the heavyweight gossip of the heavyweight. Why would I want to be the first to know? I'm just a little spiderman, stressed out. Oh, my god, my heart. By the way, is the pressure on me to keep this big secret going to get me the spider-armor any closer?"  
"If the stolen armor design could be retrieved today, it would be helpful to build it."  
"Well, I'm motivated."  
"Actually, we didn't really hook up, not wholly hooked up, I mean he and me…… not I didn't want to, just..."  
"Can I not know the details?"

Avengers Mansion, 22 hours ago.  
When they got back to the mansion, it was already morning. Tony flew into Steve's room through the open window. Pressing button on the chest, the armor retracted the pack. Take off the armor he's just Tony·Stark. Exhausted. Tony leaned on Steve's shoulder, listened to his gabbling.  
"Tony, your cut is open. Eww! Stink. How long have you been without a bath?"  
"Days. Let me see, parties, prisons, parties, fires, hospitals..."  
Tony was taken into the bathroom. When the hot water from the sprinkler hit him, he began to feel groggy. In fact, the days when he didn't sleep were longer than the days without bathing. The only time he's had a shut-eye lately is in prison. But he didn't want to sleep yet. He put his hands around Steve's neck, felt his hands unwrap his clothes, brushed the exposed skin, set off the sweltering heat. The hissing pain of gashes on his arms intensified the feeling, bringing a tingling pleasure. So， Tony buried his head in Steve's neck，bit it，lightly and heavily.  
"Tony, stop it. Your wound is bleeding."  
"Let it." Tony went on.  
"You should have a bath, a bandage, and a good sleep."  
"But I'm not sleepy yet." Tony said quietly.  
"I'm still on duty."  
"Forget the damn shift, it's early morning, they're all back, so you're off." He left another row of teeth mark on Steve's neck. After a pause, he lowered his voice, whispered in Steve's ear, "Now you just need to think of me... Think of me..."  
He turned his head sideways, started biting Steve's earlobe. "Kiss me, kiss me... Kiss me, hug me, and... In me...in me... Don't you want me? You've been thinking about that since the raining day, haven't you?"  
Tony felt a violent shuddering of the man he was hugging. And then Tony's bleeding arm was pinned down against the wall above his head. The blood, mixed with hot water, slid over his body, and over Steve's body, landing at their feet, pink on the bathroom floor. The force of the push also knocked Tony's bare back against the cold bathroom wall. The sting of the cold made him feel the heat of Steve's kiss even more keenly. His heavy breathing was drowned by the sound of running water, but it was close enough for Tony's body to feel the irregular heaving of his chest. Tony curled up his mouth.

He hated his self-possession, his reasonable, his steadiness, and the considerate captain image. He liked to smash his shields, unleash the beast inside him. Especially it was him who broke them, Tony could feel his heart celebrating victory, his blood boiling. As the shins of his lower legs rubbed against his shins, Tony felt the closeness of his desire to his naked body. Tony's body trembled uncontrollably as he bit his neck. When his kiss falls back to Tony’s lips, have become so soft and comfortable, he response lightly. No longer captive state let Tony ring his neck. It is a very long kiss… The lack of oxygen and the warm steam in the bathroom made Tony feel drowsy again, and he really fell asleep.  
When he awoke, it was late in the afternoon. Tony found his arm had been firmly banded. There was a note pinned to the bedside table under a photo of the Avengers family.  
Avengers Mission, I'm leaving. -Steve.

As he put the note down, Tony felt a sense of desolation. He stretched out on the bed again, stared at the ceiling. Then he rolled over to the other side of the bed. Although the temperature had been lost for a long time, Tony was still unconsciously burying his head in the pillow, smelling it, looking for traces of his presence.  
Tony's frustration didn't last long. Ten minutes later he sat up, put on his watch, pressed a few buttons，called up a memo, adding: upgraded armor system, added auto-cleaning, medical repair and auto-pilot sleep assistance. priority 5 stars.  
After thinking about it, he added: Call the Maria Foundation to restore Central Park, priority 4; Fix Steve's shield, priority 3; Build an old fashion motorbike for Steve, priority 1.  
Tony looked at the other arrangements for the memo:   
Tennis lesson, 4 o'clock in the afternoon the day before yesterday. Delete directly.  
Meet with investor Mr. Leonard, to discuss the development of Starktron, at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Delete directly.  
Professor Elden’s science class, at 9 o’clock this morning, directly deleted.  
Date Kris, go to a modern art show on the weekend, get flowers sent to a florist, book a candlelit dinner at a restaurant, book a hotel for two, and check in for two... Tony hesitated on this one. She shouldn't be able to get out of the hospital this weekend. Tony told himself. So, he changed the memo to: Visit Kris at Maria hospital. Priority 3.  
Next memo: Check voicemail, priority 5 stars.  
Reluctantly, Tony opened his voice mail.  
Three voices came from Mr. Leonard, asking why he stood him up. Tony adds on the memo: Reply to Mr. Leonard, explaining that the reason for the breach is "fire." 3 stars.  
One came from the tennis coach, asking him the reason for another absence. Tony just deleted the message.  
One, from Brennan, inquired about the condition，told him that because of the fire the Rush Fraternity needed to rebuild, would not be able to take him in. Tony just deleted the message.  
One from the florist, reconfirm the type, time and place of the flowers for the weekend. Tony added on the memo: Call the florist and sent the flowers to Room 320 at Maria Hospital, priority 3.  
Garth, professor Eldon's assistant, asked when the scientific paper he had been putting off for a week would be due. Tony adds in the memo: Call Garth, explain that "Fired, arm injury, paper submission will be delayed by two weeks." priority 2.  
The last message came from Zimmer at 4:32 a.m. this morning. Zimmer… Tony searched his memory for this man. Remembered! At the announcement of That Tony's will, there seemed to be a white-haired uncle with that name. He was the top security officer at Stark Enterprises, one of the people who knew Tony's true identity. Tony played the message:  
"Mr. Stark, Mayday, Mayday. there's been an invasion of New York's secret armor base, and you must hurry... Ah..." Gunshots, Zimmer 's screams are heard in the background. The phone is cut off.  
At 4:32 in the morning, he was in the bathroom with Steve. The running water drowned out the call, so he missed the call completely. Now is not the time to blame himself. Tony puts on his armor, flies out of the Avengers mansion.  
To be continued……


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15  
New York City, Secret Armor Base, four hours ago.  
Tony never knew That Tony had a secret armor base in New York City. He thought that if the Base at the North Pole was destroyed, so would his armors and designs. If he had known there was such a place, two months ago he would not have been fighting hand to hand with a pair of gauntlets  
Tony locates the armor base according to the phone. By the time he arrives, Zimmer is a corpse. The armors were destroyed, the mainframe was invaded, apparently by intruders who stole the designs.  
Only a handful of people were able to break Stark's multilayer encryption. The monitoring equipment has been completely destroyed. It will take a long time to repair the hard disk. Once the designs fall into the hands of the wicked, the consequences will be disastrous, must be recovered quickly. Tony anxious thought, but he tried to calm himself down, think about this matter.  
That Tony's always been a wily guy, and he's never dealt with arm dealers once or twice. His system certainly isn't as easy to crack. What would I have done if It had been me? Fearfulness not from a thief, is form a thief’s miss. No matter how high the encryption system has been cracked one day, defense has been unable to solve the problem. If it is me, I will attack, attack is the best defense. So, he would... A snake draws the snake out of its hole.  
Tony tapped at high speed. Lines of code passing in front of him. Yes, he did. He left the back door. The armor designs also hide a secondary security code that automatically sends out a specific frequency signal once the data is off the mainframe. Just track that signal, I can find the missing designs.  
Tony connected the satellite, located the track of the signal, and where it finally disappeared was Baintronics. It was clear that the high level of encryption and frequency interference at Baintronics Headquarters made transmissions impossible.  
Bain became one of the biggest contractors on government arms-making contracts after Stark Enterprises withdrew from the industry. But they are also suspected of having links to the world's underground sale of high-tech weapons. At the same time, they sell weapons to the government and terrorist organizations, and then provoke local armed conflicts. They are good at making profits in both ways. But Bain has always been very careful. So far, the anti-transnational criminal organizations, S.H.I.E.L.D and spy agencies have not caught Bain. And if Stark's armor design fell into their hands, the consequences would be disastrous. The copy must be destroyed as soon as possible. But it's not a good idea to sneak into the high-security Bain Tower alone, so Tony calls for backup this time.  
New York City, late at night, now.  
“I don't know if Tony Stark's henchmen are protecting me or hurting me. They treated me like a little kid, trying to protect me from That Tony's world, from his enemies, from his network, from his empire, from everything he stood for. But belong to his past constantly looking for me.  
I was the one who was suspected, the one who was tracked, the one who was hunted, the one who cleaned up the mess he had created, but I was not the one who held his abundant resources. I'm still running around raising money, carefully upgrading an old version armor, and dealing with the various high-tech criminals he's been promoting to advanced status. It's not a fair world, is it?"  
"Yes, yes, it's not fair, plus, you have to take over and care the man who once 'his man'." Said Spider-Man.  
"What do you mean 'his man', which means you already knew about their relationship, so why were you so devastated when I told you?"  
"Guessing and being told the truth are two different things, okay? I was never prepared to take on the responsibility of keeping such a big secret. In comparison, selling your own ‘criminal’ photos to the one who frame yourself in order to pay tuition and bills is really just a piece of cake. But as the old saying goes, ' With great power comes great responsibility '."  
"When I raise money, I'll bring you a spider-armor to memo priority 5." Tony promised.  
"Then you'd better become rich soon. So, what are your plans now?"  
"I will sneak into The Bain Tower. You're outside for lookout support. Don't you have some kind of high bug sensitivity or something?"  
"Spider sense... Spider is not bug. Are you sure this is a good plan? With your dazzling red and yellow swaggering in there? At least I can climb the walls slip in quietly."  
"Can you sneak in hack into their system?"  
"Spider sense, tap blinding?" Spidy said awkwardly, "Well, I can't."  
"Look at this." Tony said.  
The dazzling red and yellow armor immediately disappeared.  
"Oh my God, you can be invisible. You made invisible armor. I want that in my future armor."  
"It's only version 1.0, but I think that's enough for today. All I need to do is dive in, destroy the backups on their mainframe, dive out, and everything will be fine. No fighting."  
Tony successfully broke through the perimeter defense system of the Bain Tower. He stretched out a finger of the gauntlet, gently cut an entrance on the 62nd floor glass of the building, and slipped in. He used the satellite to call up the main structures inside the Bain Tower. Based on the configuration Settings, he determined that their mainframe system was between 60 and 70 floors. He decided to go in first, if he could locate the frequency signal of the designs internally, he would be able to find their mainframe.  
Everything went according to plan. The invisible armor eluded their monitors and infrared scanning systems. On the 65th floor, Tony finds Bain's mainframe, plugs into his armor system, hacks it in. Skip the Jocasta project, the Detroit Steele, the Pegasus... He found Stark's design. Delete, simple. Wait a minute, there's a source, on the 77th floor. They have a backup. Tony could only go on to the 77th floor.  
The 77th floor is occupied by the CEO's office. After edging past two guards patrolling the corridor, Tony snuck to the door. In front of the door is an Iris ID lock. Tony prepared for this. He hacked into Bain's personal doctor's file, got record, performed an iris data simulation. He popped a small box out of his gauntlet. The box beamed a light into the iris scan. Hoping to fool the encryption. Tony thought.  
"The scan failed. Please try again."  
The first scan failed. Sweat beaded Tony's forehead. Such systems typically activate an alert system after three or more errors. The Avengers mansion equipped with the same encryption. Tony knows it all too well. I knew I'd take my iris data, test it at the Avengers Mansion, but now I have to take a gamble.  
On the second scan, the data was read slowly, and the patrol guard was about to return.  
Come on, come on. Tony said quietly. Just as the guard turned a corner.  
"Identify success, welcome, Ms. Bain."  
The door opened, Tony slipped in, relieved.  
Then things get easier. The backup disk is in Bain's drawer. It's just a regular drawer without any encryption locks. But just as Tony opened the drawer, he saw his red gauntlets.  
No! The armor's invisibility was disabled! Tony was completely exposed to the cameras in the office.  
"Alert, alert, intruder."  
The tower's alarm goes off wildly. A group of guards rushes in, firing a volley of guns at the intruder. To make matters worse, the armor shows less than 1% of the energy left, just enough to sustain Tony's chest implant. Now, so to speak, it is just an old fashioned armour.  
Fortunately, he brought his own backup this time, so he called into the communication device.  
"Pete, help!"  
Hopefully, after he destroys the tower's perimeter defenses, the signal will pass through, or hope That Pete's spider sense won't fail as well as his armor.  
To be continued……


	16. Chapter 16

"Lay down your arms, do not be rude to our guest."  
A gorgeous woman with long brown hair, high heels, a hip-hugging skirt, and a Low-breast cover came through the door. The guards looked at each other, laid down their weapons.  
Tony was surprised by this change of scene. It was Sunset·Bain.  
"Go down, all of you. Let me talk to him alone." Bain said.  
"But ma 'am..." The security chief hesitated.  
"He's Iron Man, An Avenger, Superhero. I'm safe." Bain spoke to the head of security, but her smiling eyes were fixed on Iron Man.  
"Yes, ma 'am." Then the guards backed out.  
"Iron Man? I've heard so much about you. What mission are you on here today?" Said Bain.   
She walking to the wine cabinet, pulling out a bottle of red wine. She walked in a swaying posture. Her hips twisted in the skirted curve, rose high as she bends down to fetch the wine. By the moonlight Tony could just see the curve of her inner thigh under short skirt. The sight made Tony's throat dry. He swallowed saliva involuntarily.  
Bain poured herself a glass of red wine, then turned to the iron man with a smile.  
“Would you like something to drink?”  
"No, thank you. I quit drinking."  
"Is that so? Or you don't want me to see your face under your helmet. Relax, I'm actually a very secretive person. Believe me, your secret will be safe with me."  
"I really quiet drinking. It's not good for the superhero profession." A witty sense of humor abandoned Tony today. He gave a stiff answer.  
"All right." Bain picked up the wine in one hand. With the other hand, lightly turned on the table lamp next to the wine cabinet. The yellow light slightly lit up the dark room.  
“It's a bit dark in here, isn't it?” Bain said as she approached the iron man. The moment she reached him, she slipped out of his sight with a sideways smile, sit down on the next sofa. Her hand that didn't hold the glass smoothed the wrinkles out of the skirt.  
"If you get tired of standing, you can sit beside me." Bain continued to smile sideways at iron man.  
Tony feels seduced by Bain's actions. The moment she approaches him, Tony's heart races with the faint scent of her. Unlike the innocent, unsophisticated girls he had dated before, she exuded the charm of a mature woman.  
"I'm afraid my heavy shell will crush your delicate sofa." Tony made a joke that was not very funny. Then he adjusted the sound changer in his armor to make it sound more like a machine, to hide his restless heart.  
"Ms. Bain, the armor base of Stark Enterprises broke into thieves yesterday, confidential documents were lost, the head of security was killed. Now the missing documents are in your drawer."  
"Is that so? I think there's been a misunderstanding. So to speak, Tony and I go way back. How could I have stolen from him?" There were clear hints in Bain's words.   
"Now that he is dead, the memory of that time makes me feel more deeply about him and miss him” Bain's voice elongated, as if expressing sadness.  
She has a special relationship with me? I haven't seen her before. Looks like That Tony’s bad debt. But she was an attractive woman, Tony could imagine his future self falling in such a woman like her.  
"That's not what Stark's tracking system says. The stolen armor designs are in this drawer." Tony stiffened his voice.  
"Bain is a legitimate business. But we've made a lot of enemies over the years. We've always had hostile peers."  
"Legal business?" Tony sarcastically.  
"We have a government contract to protect the safety of soldiers of the state. We are now a major government arms contractor, especially since Stark Industries is out of the arms business, which makes Bain vulnerable to terrorists." Bain lamented.  
"Wouldn't it be logical, then, to want something from Stark Enterprises in order to complete the contract?" Tony demanded.  
"What's the use of things that have been phased out?" Bain smoothed untidy hair with her right hand, folded her long slender legs. She calmly replied, "Bain is now the industry leader in modern intelligent technology systems. It doesn't need Stark's obsolete armor designs." Bain accented the word "obsolete."  
"I'd like to think you've seen our smart defense system firsthand on your trip. In my opinion, this incident can also be fully explained by the fact that Stark Enterprises used the stolen old design as an excuse to steal Bain’s new technology. Especially after Stark's death, was it difficult to keep the business going? Are you already talking about a merger with Fujikawa in Japan?" Said Bain. She slid her fingers on her upturned legs. Her long scarlet fingernails, paired with flesh-colored stockings, make her look more enchanting in the dark light.  
Stark merge Fujikawa? It seems that they are hiding too much from me. Tony thought.  
"Then how do you explain the fact that they're in your drawer?" Tony continued calmly.  
"Believe it or not, the reason I'm here so late today is because I received feedback from the security services. Bain's mainframe system had been hacked in the early hours of yesterday morning. The intruder was very careful, an expert, coming and going without a trace, the camera had no record, and our alarm system did not detect any malicious programs. Until you tampered with it tonight that they realized there was a trace of the program being implanted. The program is harmless to the system itself, but it emits a signal of a certain frequency. Because the signal was blocked by the building's interference, it was not immediately noticed. I also hurried over after being told of this. And would I leave it in an unprotected drawer so obviously?"  
"Or you put it in the drawer to make people think you were set up. And this is what you call an advanced AI system? You still have nothing to prove that you were not involved in the event. Don't forget that there was still a life left. Means this was not a simple crime of theft.” Tony said sarcastically.  
"Our advanced AI systems do make a discovery. Although the face of the intruder was not photographed, it was found that between 5 am and 5:30 am, the quality of the air particles inside the building changed in some specific locations. By capturing the track of this change, we determined the invasion route of the intruder. He/She broke through the wall, got into the main engine room, and then reached the 30th floor. If you don't believe me, you can go into our system, check it out yourself." Bain raised her eyebrows, elongated voice. "And the spectral changes your invisible armor brings are being scanned as well as your route. I think I don't need to tell you the code, Iron Man."  
Through the computer on the desk, Tony gained access to Bain's mainframe system, which was exactly what Bain said. The intelligence of their system is indeed very high, ahead of the smart systems now used by Stark Enterprises, which Tony had not expected. Artificial intelligence systems were not Bain’s forte. How did they suddenly become one of the best? It's not as simple as that. But indications have emerged that Bain had nothing to do with the theft of Stark's armor design. They were set up. The one who steal and kill at Stark armor base have extremely high levels of technology, not below or even above my current level. His/her technology was able to sneak into Bain Tower without anyone knowing. Instead, it was my stealth armor that was caught prematurely exposed due to lack of power. Tony felt a little depressed at the thought.  
Bain doesn't seem to know my true identity is Tony Stark. Otherwise, this woman is so good at acting that she can fool everyone. But anyway, my armor has no power at all now, the backup Spider-Man apparently did not receive my distress signal, otherwise it would not have been delayed so far. No matter how, I have to give up without a fight. It is better to buy the current account of this woman.  
"Ha, ha," Tony said, making his laugh sound as natural as possible. "It seems so. Someone else is behind this. I won't bother you to rest, Ms. Bain.”  
"You don't have to walk so fast." said Bain, standing up, swaying to the iron man, pulling him down. She leaned her hips on the table, put the wine glass on top, spoke slowly in a seductive voice.   
"How about today? It can be big or small. If I call the police or press now, the headlines tomorrow will be about the Avengers break-in Bain illegal. And Stark Enterprises will be sued."  
"So, what do you want?" Tony asked. Since she said so, she certainly didn't want to make a big deal out of it. It's better to listen to her true intentions.  
"But like I said, Tony and I go way back, and I admire the Avengers." She put her hands lightly around the man's neck, leaned back, stared at the eyes that peeped out from under the mask. Her perfume, with fleshy smell, made Tony faint and restless. But he continued to act calm.  
" Why not… why don't you owe me a favor today?" Bain said.  
“That's it?”  
"That's it. Don't relax too much. It's a big favor, you'll have to pay it back someday." Bain smiled sweetly again. "You're Iron Man. I know you're not going to default. Now, you can go."  
The change of things made Tony a little unable to keep up with the rhythm. He was stunned.  
"Or if you don't want to go, we could do something else." Bain's hands around iron man's neck didn't let him go. With her leaning back, Tony can see the arc of her breast. He leaned forward to pursue the temptation.  
Just then, the glass behind Tony shatters. Spider-Man hops in, swinging the spider silk.  
“I'm coming to save you!”  
But Spidy never expected that he would run into what he saw. It took him twenty seconds to speak:  
"Well, I was just passing by. I heard crying. Children calling for help. Well, I guess I heard the wrong thing, I heard the wrong thing. Sorry, sorry, I'm your good neighbor Spiderman. I'm always at your service."  
"It seems that your friends have come to see you. I can't keep you today." Bain said with a smile. "But don't worry, we'll be seeing each other again, Iron Man."  
To be continued……


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17  
New York City, 2:35 a.m.  
Spiderman crawls up and down the walls of buildings on either side of the street, apparently not in a hurry, beside him is the slow-moving Iron Man.  
"What happened just now?" Asked spiderman.  
"What's the matter?! Can your spider sense no longer be more sensitive? "  
"It seemed to be quite agile. I felt I had arrived just in time."  
"And where were you when my armor lost power and I was held at gunpoint by a bunch of guards?"  
"You weren't in danger then, so you didn't trigger it."  
Tony rolled his eyes under helmet, even though he knew Peter couldn't see.  
"Am I hallucinating? Only three hours ago you saddled me with a terrible secret I didn't want to know."  
“What's the big secret?” It took Tony 30 seconds to realize. "You mean that. I didn't really want it to be a secret at all, at least not on the level of 'who I am'. It just happened, and I let it happen."  
"And what was that? I mean, when I went to rescue you, that woman..."  
"He doesn't have a label attached to his head. I don't have a label attached to my head." Tony said quietly. "And it just happened that way. I let it happen. Bain is a very attractive dangerous woman."  
"I thought you fancy men. It's just, you know, you're... Of course, it's nothing, it's really nothing, whatever, as your friend I will support you. I am your good friend Spiderman, Oh yeah!"  
"No, I'm not. He's an exception. I've always fancy and been attracted by women. I think he did, too. I mean That Tony. Bain should have been his old flame. We both have the same taste.”  
"You see, the famous playboy, who people on the fringe like me read about every day in the papers. In the social, financial, tech, and entertainment sections. He was the target of big or tabloid reporters."  
"So, we're not really that different."  
"I thought you always hated being him."  
"Maybe at first, but he can do a lot of things. What can I do? Stark Enterprises was acquired I can do nothing. I didn't know what to do with the high-tech criminals. I was a second-tier avenger mission. Even if I built an armor, it was not enough energy to be invisible. I have to walk on streets in armor in the middle of the night.  
He was able to protect so many people. he protected so many people. It seems like I have to wait to be rescue every day. How much of his corruption could be blamed on himself? The other side surpasses our present human technology level too much. Every day he had great temptations; every day he struggled to resist them. Look at me now. I haven't done half as well as he did in similar situations." Tony said gloomily.  
"Perhaps you should settle the matter at hand. When you get back, it's daylight, you'll get a lot of gazes, which will be in the papers tomorrow. As much as I'd love to make money taking this picture, but as your good friend Spiderman, I've decided to tell you the truth." Spidy pretended to listen carefully, but actually he missed the point of all Tony's dramatic worries, so he went around, pointed out the most urgent problem to be solved.  
"You've made a difference today. I should think of some way to get home quickly."  
Tony thought carefully.  
“Taxi! ” He stopped a taxi.  
"Avengers Mansion, thank you. If you haven't seen me today, I'll give you twice as much." Tony said to the taxi driver.  
Before getting into the car, he turned to Spiderman and said, "Thanks for today, Spiderman, I owe you one. I'll make your spider armor on priority 5 stars."  
Looking at the taxi going away, Spidy took a breath, stretched out his hands ready to launch the spider silk swing home to sleep.  
Deuce! No more spider silk. I guess I'll have to call a taxi too, but... But I have no money. I can only walk back. It’s dawn when I go back this time. I knew I would ask him for transportation fee first…Spidy thought, walked sadly in the opposite direction.

Avengers Mansion in two hours.  
Steve was running in his sleep, through a dark jungle. His Captain America uniform sliced open, his shield not in his hand. He chased a gleam of light ahead, but no matter how fast he ran, it kept getting farther and farther away from him. He was lost in the forest. He could not find his way out. In sleep he whispered:  
"Tony... Tony......"  
Then the door of the room was flung open, a bright light came in, waking him from the nightmare. He rubbed his eyes, sat up half asleep. After about 30 seconds, his eyes adapted to the change in light, saw the intruder.  
"Tony? What's the matter?"  
"I'm back." Tony came in, closed the door behind him, naturally went to the other side of the bed where he had slept in the morning.  
"It's a long story." Said Tony, rolling over to the bed. "You know, Spider-Man is a very talkative, illogical, emotional, paranoid and superpowers unstable teammate. Next time the founder votes, I'll be rooting for him to stay on the Avengers backup roster."  
"Do you want to talk?" Steve was used to the rambling nature of Tony's ideas.  
"After Stark's head of corporate security died, I spent three hours tracking down the murderer and thief; four hours with Spider-Man; got caught sneaking into Baintronics; ran into Stark's old flame; and walked halfway across Manhattan; I really didn't want to talk." Tony lay flat on his back, said to the ceiling.  
"You rushed into Baintronics?! That's something we need to talk about." Steve woke up, got to the point.  
"Ah, ah, I know it's wrong, but they're not going to Sue me, they're not even going to leak it."  
"But that's not an excuse. It doesn't take away the fact that you broke the law."  
"So, I was wrong. I shouldn't have mentioned it in the first place. I sometimes forget how much you like to fuss over such details."  
"Tony! It's not about details, it's about..." Steve's last words were silenced by Tony's kiss.  
Tony straddled Steve, put his hands around his neck, kissed him hard. The kiss lasted thirty seconds, as they parted, there was a hint of appeal in Tony's smile.  
"SHHH... Believe me, I've solved it. Forget it. I'm tired. If you keep going in captain mode, am I going to keep kissing you, or do you want me to keep kissing you?"  
"Tony, don't do that again." Steve breathed a sigh of relief.  
"But I lied. I still want to kiss you all the time." With that Tony leaned in, began the next long kiss.  
Long or short kisses continued between them. In the intervals between these kisses, the conversation continued.  
"The cut on my arm no longer bleeds. Thank you for the specific." Tony said admiringly.  
"You're welcome. Some obsolete field medicine recipes." Steve emphasized the word "obsolete."  
Tony made no rebuttal this time.  
"Now that I'm charged and bathed, can we go on with what we did yesterday morning?"  
"Who said he was tired? He may have fallen asleep again."  
"Einstein only needs one week of sleep a year, I slept yesterday." Tony quips, "I said that before, just because I had a bad day, you know, there are some noisy guys..."  
"Or you just don't want to listen to the old man."  
"Nonsense, every word you say now makes me very hot." Tony hastened to exude sycophantic enthusiasm.  
"Is that so? What if I do this? Or this?"  
Steve accepted the rare flattery as he spoke, rolled over on top of Tony without stopping his hand movements. His hand ran across Tony's bare skin. Every touch, like faint, but lit flames everywhere. A thin layer of beads sweat oozed from Tony's body, which contained desires that were still not deeply satisfied. So, his body undulates in pursuit of his movements, constantly close to him. He even curled his right leg, half around his body, rubbing the inside of his thigh against his waist to keep him there. But he still only let him breathe at a time, do not let him release.  
"Steve, Steve..." Tony's body was calling the name, too.  
"Tony, beg me... For me..." Steve whispered in Tony's ear.  
"Steve, please..."  
"This is the only time you don't talk hard, Tony." Steve gave Tony a rewarding kiss between the breasts, brushing his nipple with his teeth.  
"Ah..." Tony blurted out the cries he had been suppressing. The implant in his chest flickered with the master's strong quiver.  
Tony didn't have to look. Steve must be smiling now. Something suddenly dawned on him in his confused mind: he knew his body, he knew every inch of it, he knew every position that aroused him, he could even apply force with precision. He handled it as skillfully as he handled his shield, because he had handled it countless times, because they had had sex countless times. So, from the very beginning I was manipulated by him. I was lured by him into the net he had woven. The clothe full of his taste that he handed to me on the rainy day; the vague flick in the playroom; the belated kiss at the emergency room door; even yesterday in Central Park, he might have deliberately lost out to me...  
He knows when to provoke me, when to make me laugh, when to lose patience, when to be aroused... Even when I fell asleep last night, it was because he wanted me to.  
Thinking of these, Tony was a little frustrated and depressed. His expression was a bit trance.  
" Tony, you are thinking about it again."  
Look, he knows.  
"You're wondering again, ‘are you him or not?’"  
Look, he even knows that.  
"No," Tony lied. "I was thinking about the armor designs being stolen."  
"Well, if it bothers you, you can tell me." Steve stopped, propped up his pillow against the bed, pulled Tony into his arms.  
Tony didn't resist. He leaned on Steve's chest, felt his kiss fall into his hair. And then Tony really has to dwell on all shits he's sworn to throw out of this bed.  
"Why were the designs stolen at 4:30 a.m., not earlier?" Tony focused his thoughts, asked the question.  
“What do you mean?” Steve followed his train of thought, knowing that Tony didn't need his answers, he just needed to listen.  
"Even a rookie burglar like me, breaking into Bain, I'd say around 2 a.m.” Tony made a habit of answering his own questions.  
"Tony! On this matter..."  
"I told you, I'm not doing it again. Don't go into education mode." Tony interrupted Steve.  
"I said 4:30 a.m.is a little late, isn't it? It's near daylight. If something unexpected happens, it will drag on until dawn. And after the burglary, he/she hurried to Bain to frame them. If the frame had been set up to provoke a dispute between Stark and Bain, he/she could have done it at a convenient time later, rather than at the risk of doing it so soon. He/she is a master, an old hand, so that doesn't make sense, does it?"  
"Tony, you're tired. Maybe you should sleep and rest." Steve said softly.  
"Wait, what did you say?"  
"I mean you're tired. You need a rest."  
'Yes, that's it! Tony straightened up at once.  
"Tony?!"  
“I know!” Tony had an inspiration, and then he said in frustration. "Oh, I hate these villains, they always do evils at the wrong time. It's not that they can do evils at the right time, but they always choose such times, such times like this..."  
Tony looked wistfully at Steve. I shouldn't have thought at that moment, I shouldn't have brought it to bed, but now... Tony put on his clothes, picked up his backpack as he spoke.  
Well, it's a good thing I had my head in the clouds. Maybe I can make it now.  
"Tony, where are you going? Don't do it yourself." Steve's gonna stop him.  
"There's no time to explain now. I can fix this, trust me." Tony gave Steve a little kiss, then activated the armor, became Iron Man, flew out of the window.  
"Don't follow me..." Iron Man shouted before flying out.  
"You broke my motorbike. I can't keep up with you, I suppose." Steve stood up, walked to the window, spoke to the red flames that were fading away in the twilight.  
In fact, the motorbike is neither broken nor can it keep up. How can I catch up with him when he is Iron Man. Steve thought to himself. But it's fine to locate Tony Stark. Thinking that, from the drawer, he took the watch he had confiscated from Tony. He turned the button several times expertly to turn on the locator.  
There you are. Steve is smiling.  
To be continued……


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18  
Maria Hospital, 7:23 a.m.  
This is the time for the handover of two nearby medical staff. The night shift was tired, the day shift was not on duty yet. At the nursing station on the third floor, the nurse dozed off.  
A man walked slowly to the station with a large bouquet of flowers. The bouquet was so large that it hid the giver's face.  
"I'm the florist's delivery man. Tony Stark has ordered a bouquet for Kris DeGann in room 320."  
"Check in." The nurse pushed the register.  
The man with the flowers stretched out a hand, wrote on the visitor's register: Rand Flowers and Gifts Shop.  
Then the delivery man carried the bouquet through the hospital corridor, came to the door of room 320.  
"Miss DeGann, I've come to bring you flowers." He said, standing in the doorway.  
No answer came from the room, but he went on.  
"Okay, I'll bring it in."  
He pushed the door open gently, went into the ward. Placing the bouquet on the table, he looked at the bed. The woman in the bed was lying curled up on her side, her face half covered by a quilt, apparently asleep.  
Easier than I thought. The flower giver chuckled. He pulled out a syringe from the flowers, approached the bed softly. He poured the liquid into the hanging flask, turned off the nearby monitoring device.  
A minute later, the woman in the bed was shaking violently, and then motionless.  
That's it. She's dead. No one will ever know his secret again. The flower giver leaned close to the woman on the bed, by detecting her breath, confirmed that she was a corpse. Because everything was going so well, he let his guard down. At that moment the person on the bed, who was supposed to be a corpse, reached out and seized his outstretched hand. His guard was not up, he was be flung out violently against the window on the other side of the bed. The glass broke clanging. He fell hard to the floor. But he is an expert. He reacted quickly. He got up, wiped the blood of his mouth, saw clearly the person who got up on the bed.  
"Tony Stark?!" The giver started, then he calmed and said: "You see. All I want to know is ‘why didn't the poison work on you?’"  
"I have a little implant in my chest, this little poison, hydride, just filters out." Tony replied with a smile. "Are you sure you just want to know the answer to this little thing? I've prepared a long speech to expose your plot, Spymaster, or should I call you Coop."  
Spymaster jolted slightly at the last word, but he recovered immediately.  
"Well done, you're smart enough, Tony Stark. I am now interested to hear how you discovered my disguise."  
"Thank you for the compliment, but you are wily enough. Blended in with the Rush fraternity applicants, acted like an outcast newcomer, captured my heroic psychology, add a few drinks, urged me to take you to steal the painting. You deliberately gave me the wrong shift time, got me be caught. And then you used Brennan to get Kris bailed me out. You figured it would be hard for me to say no to her invitation to a party when I got out of jail.  
You soldered exits of the house, set fire, caused chaos. But along the way, you made a mistake. Kris noticed you by accident. I guess she might had seen you near an exit just before the fire, but she didn't know what that meant.  
What caught my attention was the remark she made when she woke up. She said, 'It's not Iron Man's fault. He didn't start the fire.' Kris fainted in the fire, woke up in the hospital. The first reaction of most people would be that it was an accidental fire. How could she blurt out that it was arson? So, she must have sensed something. That was a knee-jerk reaction.  
You also realized your mistake, so you want to kill her. First you secretly dazed her, want to let the fire help you solve the problem, caused an accident. And out of all the confusion, Iron Man gets her out first.  
You were disappointed after the hospital made sure she was out of danger. You had to work against time to kill Kris before she knew or I knew. So, you set up another scheme to sneak into Stark Armor base, steal the designs, and then framed Bain, lead me to Bain, hoping that Bain would haunt me so that you would have time to execute your killing plan. But what you didn't expect was that Bain would let me go.  
Meanwhile, you made another mistake. The fake florist called me to pry into Kris' hospital room. It was this call that allowed me to determine when and how you would carry out the plan. I tracked you back, enticed you and trapped you." Tony finished his deduction slowly, smiled triumphantly.  
"It was wonderful, but there's one thing I think you miscalculated. You think you can trap me?"  
"Tony Stark can't, but..."  
Before Tony could finish his sentence, Spymaster was hurling a flying knife at Tony. Tony didn't get out of the way, but the knife stuck close to Tony's face, headed for the backpack behind him. The moment the knife touched the backpack, it sprayed a flame, pushed the backpack directly into the corner.  
When he succeeded, Spymaster laughed.  
"Ha ha, are you saying ‘Iron Man can’?"  
"I think there's been a misunderstanding." Tony shrugged.  
"No need to deny ‘you're Iron Man’." Spymaster said.  
"I'm not going to. And is it useful? Didn't the employer behind you already knew? Isn't he always having trouble with Iron Man? He already knew I am Iron Man. But I also know one thing. He didn't want to kill Tony Stark, he just wants to destroy Iron Man."  
Spymaster was shocked again.  
Tony paused. "He had plenty of chances to kill me. How hard could it be to kill an unarmed student at Columbia? But he went to a lot of trouble to hire Whiplash, Spymaster such as the top killer, but so far has not succeeded.  
If it was for you all have unearned reputations, there was only one reason. He didn't want to kill me at all. He just put me in the way, destroyed my confidence, made me back down and give up my armor.  
You were flying a knife. I didn't have to duck, because I knew you had an order not to kill Tony Stark. You were trying to poison Kris, but when you found out it was me; you freak out. So, you ask me that question immediately just to make sure I'm not going to die."  
"All You guessed are right, but you're still not going to trap me. I can't kill you, but that doesn't mean I can't touch you, as long as you're alive. Or are you confident in your fighting?" Spymaster positioned for battle, stared at Tony, prepared to fight.  
"There's no hurry to start fight. I've prepared a long speech. I haven't finished speaking yet." Tony smiled relaxed, not at all nervous about facing the enemy.  
"I'll tell you one more thing, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. You've done a very poor job. My armor didn't charge very much. I was lazy in the early hours of the morning, want to go to bed early. "  
"I want to go to bed early!" Tony said aloud. Spymaster was a little confused about what he was selling.  
"When You interrupted me, what I meant was, 'Tony Stark can't, but... Captain America can’".  
Then Tony yelled to the window, "Old man, you've been listening under the window for a long time. Now you can come in. Don't test me those fights you taught. I can't beat this kind of hard hand."  
As Tony shouted, Steve jumped in through the window. Spymaster frowned; his confidence gone.  
Steve and Spymaster went to fight. He ducked the attack，began to make fun of Tony.  
"I really wanted to test you, but you begged me..."  
Tony sat and watched. Now and then he turned sideways away from some of the bowls, plates, and syringes that had been blown away in the battle.  
"Did I beg you? If I remember correctly, before I went out, I made a point of telling you Not to follow. "  
"If you want me to follow, just say it directly. I'm not you, I'm so honest. If I'm serious, don't follow, what will you do now?" Steve punched Spymaster’s face. Spymaster wiped the blood from his own mouth, stared hard at Steve. But Steve was clearly not paying much attention to him.  
"The knife flew into my face, you didn't move. I really thought you were too old, too slow to come. My long speech was almost lost."  
"I have some faith of the fight art which I have taught you. You made no movement evasion; I knew that you did it on purpose. I left the podium to you to get those little tricks out of your sleeves, figured out how much you're hiding from me. You know it's hard to get that out of you. You never want to have a serious talk with ‘Old Man’."  
"I'm just too busy to talk. The boss behind this guy is trying to keep me busy. If we don't find him, I'll stay busy... Busy, Busy, no time to do other things."  
“Well, well, don't stress that you've been busy. You were Shouting so loudly through the window. I've got your intention.” As spoke, Steve's shield easily held off another shot from Spymaster, who recoiled a few paces.  
"My intention alone? If it is only my intention, I would keep busy."  
"Well, well, I don't want you to be busy all the time."  
"Then you solve him quickly."  
"Well, spyminister, I'm ready to play seriously now."  
Five minutes later, Spymaster been knocked to the floor. He stumbles to his feet, wipes the blood of his mouth, looks angrily at Tony.  
"Today I admit defeat, Tony Stark, you're clever, but you're still not going to trap me. Because my employer is a lot smarter than you, has been playing the field for a long time. We'll see again. You won't win so easily next time." Spymaster tapped a device in his hand, disappeared.  
Steve's shield flies off at once. But it goes blank, hits the wall, bounces back. Spymaster has vanished without a trace.  
If it was the refraction of light that made Spymaster invisible, it was impossible to make him lose solid form. But he just vanished. Steve looked at Tony, saw that Tony was not surprised by what had happened. He asked incredulously.  
"Tony? Is there anything you're not telling me?”  
"No. Don't you know everything about the window-seat? The one who hired him have high-end technology. It's above me. I can't figure it out yet, so Let him go. And he/she wasn't going to kill me at all, just trying to get me to give up Iron Man identity. Spymaster will go back, send word. He/she will know that I have fully understood his/her purpose, and I will never give up my armor. I think he/she will back off, stop bothering me."  
"Really?"  
"Yes, I promise. Let's go."  
Steve didn't think it was that easy, but he knew he couldn't get the truth out of Tony now, so he stopped asking and joked:  
"How are we going to get back? You broke my motorcycle."  
"Then how did you get here?"  
"On foot."  
"No wonder you came so slowly. Didn't you even worry about me a little? The Avenger Mansion had Quinjets."  
"Old Man can't pilot."  
"The joke is not funny. Captain America must not lie."  
"I'm not lying. I came here on foot."  
"All right, all right." Tony turns to get his backpack, pushes the button on his chest, the armor attaches to him. He becomes Iron Man again.  
"Let's fly back."  
"Didn't you say it had no energy left?"  
“He's a bad man. Why should I tell the truth? I'm telling to let his guard down so I can put on my armor before he notices. In case you don't make it, I must have a plan B."  
"Or I'm your plan B."  
"You can understand it that way."  
"Tony! You've been sitting there watching me fight!"  
"Spymaster is a piece of cake for you. I don't need to be armed. And there really isn't much energy left in the armor. I'd like to save some for flying back. Let's not discuss these details." This is Tony's usual way of evading the question.  
"Come on."  
Steve didn't move.  
"I've used the communication system in the armor called Maria Foundation. They're going to take care of the collateral damage at the hospital. Can WE go now?"  
What Steve was trying to say was that the Quinjet was parked on the roof of a building next to the hospital. Now he flew back in Tony's armor, would come back later to retrieve the plane. But better go back in his armor, isn’t it? See him arrogantly flying in circles, drawing red flames.  
So, Steve suppressing the smile, made a gesture, reaching for the iron man with one hand. "Take me back to the castle, My knight."  
Tony accompanies Steve in the heroic rescue, even though he is the one who was just be saved.  
The iron man got down on one knee and bowed. "Yes, My princess."  
Then he picked up his "princess", flew away through the window.  
To be continued……


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19  
Avengers Mansion.  
There are a lot of benefits to not being on Quinjet. It's so loud, would raise eyebrows among the rest of the mansion. It was early, they could slip back into the room, just in time to do some bad thing. Just thinking about it makes Tony hot.  
The Golden Knight had put away his armor; he is just Tony Stark longing for the man in front of him. Tony pulled up Steve's uniform, stroked the hard muscles sticking out of his waist. Then, following the line of muscles all the way up, he uncovered his clothes, fondled broad back muscles  
"Spymaster thing has been settled, I'm not busy... And now?"  
"Now it's... HMM..."  
Steve's words were stopped by Tony's kiss.  
"Hush."  
"It’s time to... Avengers... HMM..."  
The kiss going on.  
"Morning Meeting..."  
"Tell Tasha you have a cold."  
"It's obviously a lie."  
"And you lied to me about it."  
"Did you believe it?"  
"I did. I believed every word you said, till I found out you are a slicker and a liar." Tony whispered 'liar' into Steve's ear, his tongue tip brushed over his ear drum.  
"Liar......" Tony whispered repeatedly.  
Tony felt the man in his arms shocked, his T-shirt was also pulled up by him. He felt the rough callus of his fingers brushing his exposed skin. Got you, Tony thought with a smile.  
"I actually... only lied to you." Steve said, biting hard at Tony's collarbone on the shoulder and neck, leaving a red stain.  
"A... Compliment?" Tony gasped; a little pain accompanied by pleasure.  
"Well, rather say, 'your willingness.'"  
“Is it my?”  
"Isn’t it?"  
"Yep, you go to the meeting now." Tony said with an affectation of indifference.  
"Liar, you've always been a liar, Tony."  
“Am I?”  
"Always, including now. But you can only fool yourself."  
Steve stroked Tony's hip through the jeans, tracing the shape over and over again, sliding down to the inside of his thigh, and up, and forward, and deep...  
Tony was seized by desire. He parted his legs unconsciously, put them around Steve's waist, rubbed him gently. He wanted more...  
"Mmmm... Steve..."  
“Sometimes you can't fool yourself, you can't fool yourself now, can you, Tony?  
Tony didn't have the strength to talk back this time. He left a series of gasps. As his clothes peeled off one by one, his body gave the answer. As Tony was carried naked to bed, his dim eyes were only on the blond man in front of him.  
Just as Tony puts the sheet on back, the Avengers contact card rings. Tony tried to concentrate. He seemed to put the card in his jeans pocket. Around the bed their clothes were jumbled together, a little difficult to identify. Found, on the right side of the bed at the foot, the card did not light. That is, Steve's card is ringing. Tony continues to look around the room, trying to find his logical mind. Where would Steve put the card? Yes, on the bedside table on my side. Tony quickly leaned, reached for it with his left hand. But Steve was one step ahead of him, skipping over his bare chest, grabbing it. Steve answered the contact card and gave him a silent gesture.  
Tony stared at the card, wishing his eyes can shoot a flame, burn the card. Damn ‘superhero daily’. Tony thought angrily.  
"Tasha, I know, I was delayed, I..." Steve's voice has returned to the captain’s voice.  
"Cap, the meeting has been cancelled, we're on way to California now. Our seafloor residents, once again protesting against Marine pollution, threw back a pile of garbage. The coastal villas area half buried. The Atlanteans armed protesters occupied the beach, scaring people away in chaotic scenes. The government has asked the United Nations to coordinate a settlement with the Atlantis. We are rushing to maintain order, protect people."  
"Namor? He and I go way back. I..."  
"Cap, I need your support here." Tony interposed solemnly. It was too late for Steve to cover his mouth. "Black Widow, this is Iron Man. Cap and I are in Washington D.C chasing The Ghost. He went into Stark's secret base last night, killed the chief of security, stole the high-tech weapons. It was very dangerous. I couldn't deal with it alone.  
Spider-Man is near the California beach. He should be able to provide backup. I have recently teamed up with him, he has proved to be a very reliable team-mate. I hope you will consider putting him on the official register. This is an opportunity.” Tony fiddled with his watch to locate Spider-Man.  
"What do you think, Cap?"  
Tony gave Steve a "I'm not happy you're going" look.  
Steve showed frustration, said in seriousness:  
"Yes, Widow, we're in a bit of bind here, you might consider Spider-Man to back you up."  
"All right, Cap. Widow offline."

On the Quinjet to California, now.  
"Cap can't back up. He's in Washington D.C with Iron Man. He suggested we contact Spider-Man to back up." Black Widow cut off contact, said.  
"Oh my God, give me a break. Why am I teaming up with that weird guy whose mouth doesn't sit idle for a minute? His brain circuits are not human." Hawkeye beside Widow protested. "Is that Cap's advice?"  
"Yes. But Tony suggested it first. Cap agreed."  
"Aha, Stark puts forward, he always agrees."  
"It's a bit strange." Black Widow muttered.  
“What's the matter?”  
"It's nothing. Tony didn't use his own contact card, he used Cap's." Black Widow muttered to the contact card.  
"It's not that simple." Hawkeye said.  
"Cap never lies." Black Widow said.  
"Not in Stark's case. He's very protective. I'll see where they are."  
"Clint?!"  
"The older version of that guy just cheated us recently, so it's good to be on guard." Hawkeye turned on the Avenger's contact card locator on the Quinjet.  
"Where?"  
"Washington D.C." Hawkeye said a little disappointed.  
"I told you Cap wouldn't lies."  
"Tasha, I'll bet you, Cap done with his penance."  
"If it is true, it would be a private thing between them."  
"But if that man is meant to be a bad seed, it's not just Cap's business. Avengers' survival is at stake."  
" Which one of us didn't make a mistake? Cap gave a second chance for all of us."  
"It wasn't just the second time for him. He was a born liar."

Avengers Mansion, now.  
"Tony! You liar! Tasha can locate us."  
"Can she? We're on a street in Washington D.C." Tony replied with a shrug. He had already converted the location of the contact card, said confidently.  
"Tony, a lie isn't be found doesn't mean it's not a lie..." Steve is going to start teaching.  
"Ah, ah, it's just a bunch of fish guys on California beach, not Galactus attack. They can handle it. Didn't I also provide Spider-Man's information? He could back up. Or could say, I betrayed his whereabouts.  
"Tony......"  
"You could make up for your last vacation. They went a few days ago, you were the one left on duty."  
" If it weren’t for me to stay, you still don’t know where to cry. " Steve's tone softened when he talked about it. He clicked on Tony's nose. Tony grabbed his finger, held it in his mouth, licked it over and over with his tongue tip, licked finger joint, and then next...  
"We should find a little space in these Superhero Dailies," Tony said intermittently. "If you're busy, or I'm busy, we'll never have time to be together like this. I'll cry if it'll help, but I'd rather..."  
Tony raised his body a little, kissed Steve's bare chest, then slowly kissed him down, past his strong chest, past his hard belly, moistened his navel...The sheet under Tony be wrinkled, rubbing the bare skin of back. His head disappeared into the depths of the quilt finally. He found it, held it in his mouth, licked it around, turning over the folds with his tongue tip.  
He had done this to women before, this was the first time he done it to a man. It felt completely different. He could feel it swelling, stiffening, filling his mouth. He heard his breathing, grew heavier. So, he changed the rhythm of his mouth, manipulated his desires. It satisfies Tony's deep desire to conquer, to be able to hold a strong man between his lips and tongue. Just this feeling of conquest stimulated his desire, set him on fire with more enthusiasm.  
When Tony slid back to meet Steve’s eyes. Finally saw the reserve and restraint disappear in his face. He saw the fire in his eyes, saw the silver lining of his own mouth reflected in his eyes. So, Tony put out his tongue, turned around, licked the silver.  
“You lunatic, Tony, you lunatic” Steve said. When he leaned over, kissed Tony, he could taste himself in his mouth.  
"But you like it, don't you? You like me to be mad, don't you?" Tony said at the end of the kiss.  
Steve kissed Tony again to say yes to the question.  
"Deep down you want to go mad with me, don't you? You're sad only when I'm not mad.”  
You sadly old fool.  
Steve just smiled and kissed Tony again.  
"I'm not sad now."  
In fact, from the moment you walked into my life again, I was no longer sad.  
To be continued……


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20  
Avengers Mansion.  
Tony lay lazily and contentedly on Steve's chest, tracing the lines of his chest muscles with his fingers. Then he bit it hard, a shallow impression soon disappeared.  
The super serum is so restorative, won't leave any traces on his body. But Tony didn't need to look in the mirror to know how many traces of himself he had left on his body that would last a long time. The distinction between human and superhuman, is unfair. Maybe some science can be done, local inhibitor is a good idea. Where should I brand it? Maybe it should be in a place that is not easy for others to find. A wicked thought flashed through Tony's mind, he smiled evilly.  
"Tony, what are you thinking?" The smile was quickly captured by Steve.  
"I want to do a lot of bad things, like never getting out of bed."  
Tony head back, kissed Steve.  
"But I think we'd better get out of here before Tasha and others come back and catch us. I thought you wanted to see the World War II memorial in D.C.? Since today is to make up your last vacation."  
"So, you had a plan?"  
"Maybe, let's forget all these details." Tony diverts the subject. "There should be another Quinjet in the garage."  
"That...... Actually... I parked it on the roof of a building next to Maria Hospital."  
"You liar, you told me on foot." Tony got the point this time.  
"I literally sneaked into the hospital on foot from that building." Steve said innocently.  
"And you say you can't polit?!" Tony imitates Steve’s education mode. "Half a truth is still a lie, Steve."  
"Ah, ah, let's forget all these details." Steve imitates Tony's tone.  
Tony laughed, quavering. He had a mental picture of their two roles swapping.  
Steve laughed with him.  
"Let's go." After a while, Tony suppressed his laughter.  
Tony gets up, the quilt slides off. His naked body was speckled with scarlet. The sight made Steve's eyes narrow.  
He grabbed Tony, hugged him from behind, through his waist, stroked him.  
“Tony?”  
"Huh?"  
"Maybe we'll have a little time before Tasha back." Steve squawked as he buried head in a kiss on Tony's bare back.  
"There should be." Once again, Tony was aroused desire, lied back in his arms.

Five hours later, a Quinjet glided over Washington, cut low, circled several times over the square in front of the Lincoln Memorial, then flew away.  
"That should get enough attention." Said Tony, who was sitting on the front seat. "There will be a news about it in at least three pages of the Washington Post tomorrow."  
"Satisfied?"  
"It pains your conscience to lie with me?"  
"Very pained, but if you pay me more for the silence, I'll consider forgetting it."  
"Haven't I given enough for today?" Tony asked innocently.  
"I'm thinking of a long-term loan shark." Steve's eyes ran over Tony's body.  
The look makes Tony’s body hot.  
"Do you strong enough to do it, Old man?"  
"I think you've experienced the don's energy... Actually... It's very vigorous."  
"Maybe not that deep."  
"More deeply, your plan for today will be ruined."  
The hint provoked a flash of images in Tony's head, he pushed them away, soothing his emotions for a moment, dodging the hot spot.  
"Don't tell me you've guessed my plan in advance."  
"Maybe not much, maybe a little."  
"Liar."  
"I could say that I lied to a 'liar'."  
"Aha, you admit it. we sort of ganged up, lied to them."  
"Or 'hook up.'"  
"You can pilot back if you want, Old man."  
"Since you've arranged a date..."  
"I didn't say it was a date."  
"Okay…It's not a date, just say you do charity condolences to a veteran."  
They parked in a private place, put on the clothes of ordinary people, mixed with the crowd. At least today they're just Steve and Tony.

At the World War II Memorial.  
The setting sun dappled the black monument. The memorial is engraved with names. There are many white-haired elderly people in wheelchairs nearby. Steve stood in front of the monument, searching for familiar names, bringing up memories of the era in his mind. He thought about Bucky, he thought about Peggy, he thought about the Invaders, Human Torch, Toro, Namor... And those who fought alongside him, forever drowned in battle, but failed to leave their names on this monument.  
There are statues of Captain America and Bucky near the monument. As a man who lives in this era but does not belong to this era, he always asks himself: What would my life have been like if I had not been frozen for 40 years? What if Bucky were still alive?  
I should marry Peggy, have two more children. Bucky will be their Godfather. The girl will be named after my mother, the boy will be named after Bucky. As a man with a wife and children responsibilities, I would probably give up the dangerous superhero job, pass on the title of Captain America to someone else, just be an ordinary country dad running a small farm.  
It would be a two-story cabin with a fire in winter and an old ceiling fan in summer. The walls are covered with yellowing photos and my paintings... my children, my wife, the countryside... The children's toys scattered all over the house, tripping Peggy and me. Peggy's face would have wrinkles, her hair would be dyed with silver threads gradually, but she still beautiful. Cause of housework and children, her temper might be a little bad. Sometimes she might teach these little bad kids a lesson, then they would hide behind me, seek refuge. I must soothe their angry mother.  
Namor, Bucky, and other old teammates-in-arms may visit us frequently. We would gather together to eat the specialty dishes handed down by Peggy’s grandmother, sing old battlefield songs, reminisce, tell the stories of the battles, until my kids got bored, and then tell them to my grandchildren... Until they listened impatiently too.  
On a sunny day like this, my grandson or granddaughter may bring me here in a wheelchair, let me to move old bones, let me to count the names of those who fought alongside me in front of this black monument, listen to my story of the '40s again...  
Maybe one day, on this very same square, we might encounter terrorists like Hydras who attacking Congress, meet Avengers who stopping them. The Golden Knight in armor would pick me up from my wheelchair, roar past the smoke and fire, carry me to a safe place, and then vanish in a flash of red flame.  
That should be the only intersection in our lives. It will be the topic of conversation at the dinner table and in front of the fire on many days. Their frail old great-grandfather could finally tell them a story not about World War II, about how he was once saved by Iron Man...  
A different picture of life flashed through Steve's mind. At the end of the film he felt a sense of sadness. He looked back. Tony was sitting on a bench 10 meters away, absorbed in a game that had popped up on his watch. The film blurs, the face in front of him becomes real, a smile appears on his mouth. Steve turned around. He didn't see Tony put down the game, didn't see the sadness on Tony's face, didn't see Tony was actually watching him.  
Steve continued to walk slowly along the long wall, his hands fluttering over the names on the monument, but his thoughts turned to the future, some kind of strange future...  
In that future, I will be with Tony, in a permanent partnership. We live in a horrible high-tech tower with lots of basement floors. Under my temptation, we probably have one or two children, fusing our two genes, and nine out of ten will be born with the help of Pym Biotechnology. Tony won't listen to my advice about naming them. He'll probably just call them Mark 1 and Mark 2 without too much fuss. He would hate to take care of kids, leave all the chores to A.I. We would have robot butlers, robot nannies, robot cleaners, robot chefs...  
Taking a break from superhero life and family responsibilities make him so grumpy that he basically shuts himself up in an underground lab every day without seeing any old friends who come to visit. If it is accidentally broken into by the children, he would lose his temper, blow beard and stare. Mark 1 would burst into tears; Mark 2 would hide behind me in terror. It’s hard for me to coax Tony well. Our whole family will on the street about once every year or so, because one of his experiments blew our house up…  
Steve laughed. He tried to get the film out of his head, but the details kept playing back, which made him laugh harder. He laughed at himself:  
Country Dad could be my life, but it shouldn't be Tony's. He's a knight in shining armor, he's a flame in the sky, he'd rather bleed to death on the battlefield than rot in the Promised Land. When he can't burn, when he can't fly, he can't be happy. I can catch a knight in the sky, but I should never lock him in a castle.  
Steve walked slowly towards Tony. He sat gently beside him and put his arm round his shoulder.  
"You let me be killed at 131 level again." Tony protested. "I thought you'd still be standing there thinking wistfully and tearfully of the old days. But suddenly you laughed. This is supposed to be a place of solemn mourning."  
"You've been playing the game; how do you know I laughed?"  
"You laughed too loudly. What's so funny?"  
"Just a comedy." Steve smiled. "On our next date, we won't have to go to a place like this to mourn."  
"There's no next date, and it's not a date."  
"Say what you will." Steve was indifferent, but he held Tony closer.  
The pigeons flying and falling on the square, the children running with balloons, the street artists playing performances, the teenagers skateboarding... Everything is so calm, such is the life of ordinary people. This kind of life can be fun to watch for a while, but then it gets boring. Tony gets bored.  
"I'm going for ice cream." He sees an ice cream truck not far away and runs past Steve.  
There was a huge line of children in front of the ice cream truck. Tony stood out a little awkwardly at the end of the line. Soon he was getting impatient.  
"Kids, I'm in a bit of a hurry, so I'll treat each of you to an ice cream today, if you'll let me buy it first."  
"Two." Said one of the children.  
"Done!” Tony took the child's outstretched hand.  
"Oh yeah!” The children cheered.  
Steve, standing next to Tony, grinned and shook his head.  
"Give me a coffee-milk one, give him a walnut." Tony pointed to Steve, said to the ice cream vendor.  
"How did you know I like it?"  
"I'm just guessing. Old people all love it."  
It was already dark, they crossed the National Mall, turned into a hidden path, walked slowly towards where the Quinjet was parked.  
Holding the ice cream in one hand, Tony licked the brown coils in circles, smoothing out, then rolled up the tip of the ice cream with his tongue tip. He took Steve's hand without ice cream.  
He was so absorbed in his food that he didn't notice that Steve was actually watching him all the time. When Tony finished eating, looked at the person next to him, he found that Steve hardly took a few bites of the ice cream in his hand. The white melted cream dripped onto his hand, forming a white curve. Without even thinking about it, he reached over, licked the melt marks. He ran along his fingers, licked the ice cream on his hand.  
Steve stopped.  
"What's the matter? If you don't eat it, it will melt."  
"I'd rather try yours."  
"I've finished mine."  
Steve didn't answer. He just hugged Tony, gave him a long kiss. He relished the taste of the ice cream in Tony's mouth, first sweet, then bitter with a hint of coffee and walnuts.  
As he did so, the ice cream in his hands melted, dripped onto Tony's red T-shirt, leaving creamy white spots and arcs.  
There was a mist in Tony's eyes as they parted.  
"Let's go home." said Tony softly.  
"Good idea."  
At that moment, a mob of masked men with baseball bats ran out of the surrounding trees, blocking their way and surrounding them.  
To be continued……


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21  
Night. In the National Mall, Washington, D.C.   
A mob of masked men with baseball bats darted through the surrounding trees, blocking Steve and Tony's path.  
" Fags, you are too arrogant." Said the leader.  
"How dare you to pollute the Mall?" The man next to him interjected.  
"You people should rot in the gutter."  
"You people are vermin of this country."  
"You defiled the tradition and religion."  
"Go to hell, don't pollute our eyes."  
Tony looked around at the situation, confused. He glanced at Steve, saw anger on his face.  
Tony was not angry, but rather amused. He stopped Steve, stepped forward.  
"Well, let me clear my head. Are you going to attack us?"  
"We want you to die."  
"Yes, people like you are scum, should be extinct."  
Tony smiled. "I reckon ones who have made similar threats in front of us... Ah, your ranking is about... too low to calculate.  
Well, I'm in a good mood today, in hurry to get home, so I don't want to argue with you. I'll give you one minute to run away."  
"Hum..." The leader took two more steps, the others closed in further.  
" Well, if you refuse the proposal, it’s not my fault. " Tony took off his backpack, threw it to Steve.  
"Catch! Don't interfere, Old man. Today I am going to practice the fighting skills you taught." Tony was already in combat mode as he said.  
Steve caught the bag, his anger gone, a smile on his lips.  
"Do you want a safety word? In case you fail, I can save you."  
"Ridiculous! That is the failure of you the teacher, if your so-called fighting arts can't even beat a few ruffians..."  
Tony’s next words has been roaring to bat interrupted. Tony flexible side flash across, directly hold the attacker's wrist, his thumb pressed the weakness on it. The attacker rictus, his bat has dropped on the ground. Then Tony made a beautiful shoulder fall off, put on his back. The attacker fell to the ground. Tony kicked the bat to fly.  
The rest were a little frightened at the sight, but by sheer force of Numbers they gathered round again.  
Tony quickly ducked past the rear attacker. The rear attacker lost balance, leaned forward, colliding with the front attacker. Tony had reached the side of him, kicked hard in the shin. He exclaimed, clasped crus, drop to the ground.  
There were three others. Tony glanced, positioned, at 45, 62 and 170 degrees. Then Tony's fist came at the man's face at a 45-degree, the man raised bat to defend. But it was a false move, Tony took the opportunity to kick him in the defenseless belly. With a click, his ribs should be broken. He fell to the ground. The 62 - degree attacker's bat has swept into Tony's waist. Tony did a back flip to avoid the attack, then flipped onto his shoulders, his legs around his neck, hit him on the head with his elbow. He passed out.  
"I didn't teach you that." Steve next to him chimed in.  
"You are not the only teacher of mine. It’s Widow's skill." Tony was distracted by talking to Steve, the other man's bat came at him from behind. He heard the wind, ducked a little too slowly. The bat swept to his shoulder.  
It hurt so much. He endured the pain, was ready to finish the fight quickly. Tony swung around the opponent's back, sent him flying for a kick.  
Tony rubbed shoulder, walked angrily to Steve.  
“Why were you bothered me?”  
"In real fighting there are a lot of distractions, if your body isn't good enough to have reflexes, you have to concentrate to get rid of them. It looks like you need more practice."  
Damn you, old man. Reflexes. He means training to his level. Tony had a picture in his head of Steve laughing and easily beating down Spymaster.  
“Well, well, shall we go?” In order to stop him from getting more captain-education, Tony quickly picked up Steve.  
Steve looked at these men Tony had knocked down.  
"Okay, I'll call ambulance on the Quinjet."  
Just then, two policemen on patrol noticed what was happening. They came running from a distance and pointed their guns at them.  
"Don't move. Hands up. You're under arrest."  
"I think there's been a misunderstanding. I was defending myself." Tony raised his hand.  
The policeman looked at these men knocked over, shook his head.  
"I think you'd better come with us, guys."  
"Catch me! He did nothing! I knocked these men down."  
“Tony!” Steve next to him chimed in.  
"You didn't do it."  
The policeman shook his head again, evidently not believing him.  
"Come with us, all of you."  
The policeman came forward, twisted their arms and handcuffed them. Tony had just been hit in the shoulder; the action painful.  
One of the officers picked up a pager: "Six people are injured 1800 yards left on National Mall, please send an ambulance. Two suspects have been arrested."  
They were escorted to a police car.  
It's just over three months into the future, I've already been in jail twice. And this time I'm innocent. The more Tony thought, the more depressed he became. Steve, next to him, kept a smile on his face. Don't know why he laughs now.  
"You were trying to protect me?" Steve said.  
“You didn't do it. I'm telling them the truth. If you don't get catch, you can bail me out." Tony said.  
Besides, I really want to protect your identity. My identity is secret. It doesn't matter. If you get caught, the Washington Post won't be part of page three tomorrow, it'll be front page -- Captain America gets into a street fight on National Mall.  
This old stubborn man would never use a false name when recording confession. The more Tony thought about it, the more anxious he became. He didn't know what to do with it.  
But something unexpected happened. When they arrived at the local police station, the chief of police came out, whispered a few words to the policeman escorting them. Surprise appeared on the policeman's face.  
They were taken to the chief's office. The chief lowered the blinds, stepped forward, personally uncuffed Steve and Tony.  
"I'm so sorry, Captain, it was all a misunderstanding." The chief shook Steve's hand.  
"Me too. I should take your companion at his word. Those maskers don't look like good guys." The policeman who escorted them quickly apologized.  
"It doesn't matter. You're just doing your job. We came here today as a secret, met the assailants on the way. It was not convenient to identify ourselves." Steve patted the policeman on the shoulder and smiled.  
"I understand, Captain. Your whereabouts today will never be revealed." The chief said.  
"Captain, if it's convenient for you, please sign for my son, who adores you." Said the policeman nearby.  
Steve took the Captain America postcard from the policeman, turned it over, picked up his pen.  
“His name?”  
"His name is Billy."  
To Billy. You have a very devoted father. You should be proud of him. -Captain America.  
Steve handed the postcard back to the policeman. He was tickled to see what Steve had written, took his hand; tears in his eyes.  
"Oh my God, that's great, thank you Captain, thank you. I don't know what to say, I caught you by mistake, and you..."  
"This country needs more dedicated people like you." Steve patted the policeman on the shoulder.  
Tony did not fully understand the circumstances until they were ushered out of the door by the zealous chief and the policeman who had escorted them.  
"What's going on?" Tony finally asked.  
"Sometimes public identity isn't necessarily a bad thing, is it, Tony?" Steve smiled. "As long as you're doing the right thing in the identity."  
"You guessed it? You guessed that I'm afraid your identity will be exposed, cause a scandal?”  
"Guess a little. Or you wouldn't have let me in the first place. In case something goes wrong, you're a punk kid at Columbia, it's okay to get in trouble, but Captain America involve a street fight, if the press finds out… Is that what you think? I bet you're also trying to convince me take the statement without using my real name. But you gave up the plan because you knew I would never agree to it."  
He guessed it all. Tony wanted to.  
"So, I called for backup while you were busy fighting."  
"Boys, I think you are just too laid-back to got into a street fight on National Mall." With a magnetic female voice, Black Widow stepped out of the shadows. "I should consider giving you both more assignments."  
"Tasha, you don't really have to come yourself." Steve said.  
"It's not too far from turning here in California anyway, Besides, I wanted to see Captain America and Iron Man being escorted into the police station for a street fight."  
"Black Widow, we're actually..." said Tony.  
"Don't explain, Tony." Black Widow waved her hand. "You two take care of your business. From the day one, Avengers were founded, there were written rules against interference in the private lives of members. You wrote those rules precisely, Tony."  
"Thanks, Tasha." Steve was honest.  
"But you're going on the Quinjet I did. The one you piloted, I let Clint drive back. He had an unhappy day with Spider-man, just to give them some time to be alone on the way back. I'm also thinking of getting Spider-Man to participate in more missions, train to become a register member. Of course, vote at the founder's meeting. But he's got two votes now, hasn't he?" said Black Widow, laughing.  
"Thank you, Tasha, you're really... I really... Thank you so much." This time it was Tony who was speechless.  
"Tony, after what happened today, I hope you trust your teammates more, trust Avengers more. Some things are easier to tell the truth, aren't they?" Said Black Widow.  
Tony could not guess how much Tasha knew. There was a trace of guilt for lying to them. Should he really confess everything to them? Like Tasha said, trust his teammates? But he dismissed the idea. Some guilt can only be borne by himself, and some things he is just guessing now.  
"Now get on the Quinjet, boys. I smell like a fish, want to go home, take a good bath."  
To be continued……


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22  
Arizona, a day ago.  
Hawkeye was piloting a Quinjet; Spider-Man was sitting next to him in the copilot.  
Clint never had such a strong desire to acquire superpowers. If he had Professor X's mind control, could shut this guy up. He doesn't know how he's offended Tasha lately, has been sent on a mission with this guy.  
Clint makes sure this is the third time Spider-Man has talked about a neighbor’s cat he rescued from a tree, or if it wasn't the same cat.  
Just as they were flying over the Grand Canyon, the Quinjet made a violent jolt and all the dials began to spin.  
"This bump isn't air turbulence, is it, buddy?" Said Spider-Man.  
This emergency has at least saved Hawkeye from the cat talk.  
"Hawkeye to HQ, Quinjet out of control, my coordinates are... Tasha, Tasha...Mayday…"  
Only a sizzling electric current was heard, it seemed that the communication system was down, too.  
"It's terrible. Stark's stuff has a high failure rate. How to do? I can't fly! we're dying!" Spider-Man grabs Clint. The autopilot fails, making it even more difficult for him to control the joystick.  
"Leave me alone! Sit down! If you don't want to die."  
Clint tried to adjust the stick, but still couldn't pull it up. The Quinjet lurched precariously toward the Canyon wall.  
"It's expensive, but I think we'd better jump now." Spider-Man pulled the parachute out from under his seat.  
Confused by Spider-Man, Clint completely forgot that the Quinjet was actually equipped with parachutes. Even though he didn't want to admit he was right, he jumped after him. The Quinjet crashed into a rock wall.  
Arizona, now.  
Steve was piloting a Quinjet, Tony was sitting next to him in the copilot.  
"The heavy armed forces are out chasing Hulk now, but we're looking for someone who got lost on the way?" Said Tony, slightly resentful, sitting in the copilot  
"Originally Tasha had sent Giant Man and Wasp. But Jane was having some problems with her transformation; Hank didn't want her on a mission until make sure she was all right." Steve, who pilots the Quinjet, said.

“She has recently gone from being a 'wasp' to a 'butterfly' for reasons Unknown. Since that it's been a long time Tasha let her go on an official mission. It seems that no one can be sent this time. Congratulations! Accompanying me to the third-line search and rescue team. You actually want to go to Florida. According to footprint analysis, Hulk is most likely to be there."  
"Thor and Hercules over there, gods and demigods. Plenty of fire. I'll just follow you on the third-line." Steve joked. "Maybe they lost touch cause of Hulk. Don't take any chances, Tony."  
"If we meet Hulk, let's run away. Until I built Hulkbuster Armor, we have no chance at all. And who's lost this time?"  
"Hawkeye and Spider-Man."  
"It's going to be hard for Spider-Man to team up with Hawkeye. His tongue is a powder keg. Hasn't Spider-Man offended Tasha lately?"  
"Tasha wants them to rub together."  
"Maybe we don't need to hurry. Let them get together a little bit more."  
"Tony?!"  
"I reckon they're all right."  
"Tony..."  
“But I think there's something wrong with us! I know how they lost contact. The Grand Canyon became Bermuda."  
"What?!"  
"My armor's built-in communication system is broken now. Pay attention to the Quinjet, quickly switch to pure manual!"  
As Tony spoke, the Quinjet's autopilot had stopped. Because of the warning, Steve had switched to manual control, temporarily stabilizing it, but it was still jolting.  
"It's too late to avoid this disturbing area. We have to make an emergency landing." Steve said.  
"Better not make it too bad. I don't have much money to build a new one."  
"I'll try."  
"I'll fly out and have a look. Fortunately, although the electronic guidance system is off line, the armor power system is still available, I have to polit manually."  
"Tony, be careful."  
"Got it. I'll take it as the old version 3.8."  
Tony flew out the window, found an open field 30 miles to the left. He turned back, flew to the window of the Quinjet. When they lose the electronic contact, it's all about body language and chemistry. Tony pointed out the direction to Steve, flew under the Quinjet to steady its turbulence. In their cooperation, The Quinjet danger in the cliff above the open ground to fall. Iron man dragged up a piece of sand at the foot.  
"That was close." Tony breathed a sigh of relief, diagnosed the Quinjet carefully.  
"The good news is there's not much damage, just a few scratches on the wings. The bad news is that my armor is broken. No automatic diagnosis system. I need to check it myself. I can't fly."  
“Or we walk?” Steve suggested.  
"Don't even think about it. I'm not going to follow you blindly in the thousands of kilometers Canyon."  
"I can trace."  
" Do you still want to get two horses, take two guns, put on a Western like Stagecoach "  
"I actually think one horse is better." If that, you have to hold me.  
"That horse will be crushed under the armor and both of us." Aha, you wish!  
"Tony......"  
“Besides, there doesn't seem to be any village nearby can get horses. We're not going anywhere until the armor is fixed. And according to my calculations, Hawkeye and Spider-Man..."  
"As you say."  
“That's it?”  
"That's it. We're just a third-line search and rescue team, aren't we?"  
30 kilometers away.  
Hawkeye swam ashore from the Colorado River, dragging Spider-man, who had been knocked unconscious. He gave him CPR, then half-opened his mask to give him artificial respiration. The guy coughed up water and woke up slowly.  
Clint couldn't help but wonder, does this guy really have superpowers? How to see is at any time two or three will die like.  
"Ah, my mask, my identity." The first thing Spider-Man does when he wakes up is make sure his mask is still there.  
"You're welcome." Hawkeye rolled white. "I don't want to know who you are, as long as you don't hold me back."  
"Thank you. What do you think about the reason we crashed?"  
"I don't know, but I don't think it's a natural phenomenon."  
"What do we do now?"  
"Nothing."  
"Nothing? So how do we get out of here?"  
"This is the Grand Canyon thousands of kilometers. We don't even know where we crashed. We'd better wait for them come to us."  
" Waiting for whom? We're not waiting for the Widow to send help, are we?"  
"Wait the people who brought us down come to us."  
By nightfall, the temperature in the Canyon was so low, Steve had built a bonfire next to the Quinjet. The crackling of wood burning echoing across the cliffs of the empty Canyon.  
Steve sat by the fire polishing his shield, which he had done dozens of times. From time to time he stole a glance at Tony beside him. Tony's mind was clearly fixed on repairing his armor. His face was orange in the firelight. Squinting his eyes, he pulled one tool after another from a small box spread out beside him.  
With a thin moon, a can of chickpeas, a pot of coffee and an acoustic guitar, it's like jumping into the West in 1872. Everything was so calm; it would have been a vacation if he hadn't thought of Hawkeye and Spider-Man getting lost.  
"How did you two get started?” Tony broke the calm by speaking suddenly.  
"Who? What begin?"  
"I mean you and him, or you and the future me?" Tony didn't stop working.  
Steve thought Tony would never ask him that question, but now he suddenly didn't know how to answer it.  
"The Avengers tracked down the rampaging Hulk, at the North Pole..."  
"I'm not asking you that. I've already read this in the Avengers database. I want to know what the database doesn't have. How did you two hooked up?" Tony cut to the chase this time.  
"Oh?" After a long silence, Steve continued, trying to keep his voice calm.  
"That year he was set up by Stane. He took away his company. Avengers also have suffered setbacks. He had a problem with alcohol; he was drinking more and more after that. He was drunk in armor, almost caused a catastrophe. When I tracked him down, tried to dissuade him. He talked about my father's alcoholism. I raged, hit him."  
"Oh." Tony went on quietly, mending his armor.  
"It was like the last straw broke the camel's back. He gave Roddy the Armor and Iron Man title, ran away. Nobody knew where he'd gone. If he doesn't want to be found, no one can find him. His friends gradually gave up the search, returned to their own lives.  
Hitting him at that time was the biggest mistake I ever made, cost me my best friend once again."  
"Your best friend?” Tony interposed.  
"Yes, back then we were just close friends. In order to make up for my mistake, I did not give up searching. It was a very cold winter in New York City. Snowing heavily that day. In such a blizzard night, I was very worried about him, so I drove a motorcycle to every tavern in the city... When I finally found him, he passed out in a dark alley wearing a single coat. I picked him up, took him back to Avengers Mansion. He was shaking in my arms all the time. I put him on the bed, covered him with a quilt. He was still shaking, pulled me, begged me not to leave. So, I stay..."  
There was another long pause.  
"And then?" Asked Tony. The conversation continued.  
"After that night, he left early in the morning, he contacted Roddy, went to rehab. We all tacitly assumed that night had been a mistake, selectively forgotten it. After all, Sharon is my girlfriend; he has many female lovers. He gave up drinking; we went back to our old relationship. Avengers teammates, friends in life.  
Later, when Sharon's death was announced by S.H.I.E.L.D., my relationship with S.H.I.E.L.D. was tense for a while. Once again, I was lost, wanted to give up my identity as Captain America. And he had too many responsibilities, too many people counting on him. When all the frustration and pressure was rolling in, he always wanted a drink. I didn't want him to drink. He didn't pick it up again. But we both had a second time, then a third time..."  
"And you two still think that's a mistake?" Tony interrupted.  
"We just didn't talk about it in depth, or have the time to think about it, or don't want to define it. The life of a superhero is like this, every time out of the task do not know can come back, do not know today is not the last day in your life, do not know this is not the last time to meet…So we value the present more. I don't want a lot of established relationships to just fall apart."  
"Is that what he thinks?"  
"Probably."  
"You've been like this for years?"  
"Many years. Not long ago, my super soldier serum went wrong, my body was rapidly aging, he awakened me from a coma, made me an armor, so that I could fight in the last moments of my life. Fulfilled a veteran's last wish to die in battle."  
"So, you were actually wearing the armor he made for you?"  
"Yeah, it was at the end of my life, or at least I thought it would be the end of my life. He was all I could think of at that moment, but he was not with me at that moment. There were so many things I regretted, so many things I wanted to tell him, but I could never say them... But God gave me a second chance, I didn't die, Sharon made a deal with Red Skull, saved me. When I finished Red Skull thing, went to find him, found that he was no longer himself. I travel to 10 years ago, found you, want to stop him, save him, let you wake him up…But everything is too late, he finally died in my arms. And you know the rest."  
“Sharon isn't dead, is she?” Tony asked.  
"S.H.I.E.L.D. was hiding the truth. She's been in Europe. But after all this, we're just friends now." Steve said.  
"You don't really have to clarify anything, and I didn't have a clear definition of our relations, just like he didn't at that time. After all, I'm his past form."  
"Tony, if you're still struggling with whether you're him or not, what do I think of you..."  
"In fact, I did not struggle, his is mine, mine is not his, mine is still mine... How to calculate this account is my profit. And what else do you think of me? You are thinking take off my clothes, keeping eyes on me, right?" Tony's flirting joke gently dispelling the sadness Steve had been trying to suppress.  
"You guessed it; I did." Steve smiled over the sadness.  
"I knew it. Before you opened this dusty box, you've pretended to wipe your shield a hundred times, peeked at me 200 times. You're tired of waiting, aren't you? In this case, I can only start a topic that is distracting enough for you. In fact, I don't want to see the old photos in that box so much, I'm more focused on the present. Who knows? Maybe tomorrow we will encounter Hulk and die " Here Tony rearranged his toolbox, put it back in armor’s hiding place.  
" Now, I've fixed my armor, we can do something else."  
"Finally."  
"It suddenly occurred to me that I should adjust the detector to find Hawkeye and Spider-Man."  
“Don't do it!”  
"Got you."  
Steve laid down his shield, which he had polished 300 times tonight, approached Tony, did what he had been expecting all night, takes off Tony's clothes... Like old westerns, bonfires, coffee, chickpeas, acoustic guitars, old stories... Under moonlit and starry night sky, holding the person in your heart now.  
To be continued……


	23. Chapter 23

Grand Canyon cliff, next to the Quinjet.  
It was dark, the canyon was colder, the campfire was smaller, Tony was a little cold, he leaned over to Steve. The difference between ordinary people and superhumans, much less resistant to cold. Steve had folded his arms under his head, looked up at the stars. But he was obviously careful to notice Tony's little movements, pulled up the blanket they were covering. The long - stored field survival kit in the Quinjet finally came into use.  
"It's cold outside. We can go back inside the Jet."  
"Well, satisfy your old Westerns, count stars by the campfire, wait for the sunrise."  
"In fact, the key plot of a Western movie is not counting stars. It is the person who counts the stars with you." Steve pulled Tony over his chest, touching his skin, warming him.  
Then he quipped: "If all three-line masks are like this, I should apply for more."  
"I wonder if Tasha did it on purpose. She'll send Wanda with Vision, Wasp with Dr. Pym..."  
"Maybe, I had to come clean last time to get us out of the station."  
“How much did you tell her? ” asked Tony, a little worried.  
"Going to D.C. with Tony to deal with some private matters, being held up by the local police, etc."  
"So, you didn't lie to her."  
"Well, I only lied to you."  
Remembering the day, Tony thought he would be a little embarrassed to see Tasha next time. He turned his attention back to the search for the missing men.  
"Although I repaired my armor, it was difficult to find people in such a large area without a navigation system. And the biometric system cannot be used in the case of severe interference. I think the best thing we can do tomorrow is find the source of the disturbance first. I made a detector. I'm sure this is not a natural phenomenon, if we don't catch the one behind it, there will be more aircraft in distress in this area."  
"Fine, whatever you say."  
"Well? I'm surprised you didn't object. I've been waiting for you to object all day."  
"Why should I object? It makes sense."  
"It seems you have been objecting to my plans, like to be always, like to be opposition for the sake of opposition."  
"That is right. Objection for objection's sake."  
“Steve!”  
"Then you will continue to oppose my opposition for objection's sake. You'll be angry and rebellious, all you think about is fighting me, all you think about is me..." Steve kissed Tony at every pause; Tony's rebuttal was blocked by him again and again.  
"Steve... Well..."  
“And now I don't need to do it. You're thinking of me all the time. Arguing only wastes our time doing other things."  
"I didn't... In thinking about... You......"  
"Liar. Your body is more honest than your mouth. Tony, It's hot again. You're not cold, are you?" Steve said as he slid down Tony's bare back, a shudder rising in his movements.  
"Childish... Emmm..."  
"Or more efficient."  
" Emmm..."  
"We can come to an agreement, you can make all the plans, I'll listen to you, as long as you listen to me at this time. Agree?"  
" Em. "  
Tony's body was naked under the blanket, but there were remnants of the previous passion memories, unconscious responses to the familiar touch. As they do this thing more and more, it takes on a will of its own. It doesn't follow Tony's logic, it doesn't have Tony's thoughts, it doesn't hesitate, it doesn't want all the answers. It goes into the joy of not asking about the past, not caring about the future.  
Is that why he quit drinking? Fall in this man was indeed more drunk than any wine.  
There's no need an agreement. I'll listen to everything he says at this point. At this time, I even have the urge to give everything in exchange for staying with him for a more moment.  
This was an impulse that made Tony fear afterwards.  
30 km away, Colorado Riverside.  
A fire was roasting a pheasant, which Clint had shot. Spider-Man, who was sent to catch fish, apparently came up empty. But the person who eats most of the chicken is Spider-Man.  
"It looks like Avengers really have a survival class. I think I should apply for it." Said the Spider, munching on the chicken.  
"What can you learn from Cap's Scouting class? This is my survival experience of wandering the world for many years. Learn from him, it is better to let the elder brother take you.  
"Well, all right." Spiderman was eating, looking at Hawkeye with admiration.  
"Moreover, he taught that class specifically for the Desk Man, we were forced to wasting time. Fortunately, this time he trained his young version, didn't drag us into summer camp."  
"Fortunately, he started the class. I was rescued by them at camp and got involved."  
"No wonder I've been running into you lately, Stark blew in his ears. No offense, but after what happened today, I think you're pretty good. It just makes my blood boil to think this is that guy set it up. His older version dominated the Avengers for many years. Three Big Head, Thor was not on earth for a long time. Nominally a co-founder vote, Wasp and Pym were busy with their own small home, not permanent staff at all. Steve was the longtime leader of the Avengers; he was the associate. They were interchanging sometimes, actually running the ‘Couple Shop’. As long as he blew in his ears, Steve would probably listen to him. In the end, the Avengers became his private armed team, didn’t it? For his kind of rich man at the top of the world, the Avengers are just a way of showing off his wealth, his charity, and some of his heart to ordinary people like us. I'm not surprised by all the bad things he did, because he wasn't such a good guy. Treachery, full of lies, he had it all."  
"At least you guys have money, I am always short of money."  
"You are too late, now we have no money. When he died, we were strapped for cash on Jane's support alone. I think Tasha will scold me for ruining the Quinjet this time. I'm afraid we can't afford a new one."  
"It looks like you guys are having a hard time without him."  
"He has some use as a money-bag, but that's all. He thinks he can buy people's hearts with money, it's impossible!"  
"To be fair, that person is dead, this one is just him ten years ago. He did not betray you." Spider defended Tony.  
"But they are the fruits in a same tree, aren't they? It's only a matter of time he becomes him."  
"In this way, he would be become 'him' early, so that Avengers funds can be restored. Otherwise, it will be closed."  
"Yep, that is true. But in any case, he can’t even think about manipulating the operation of Avengers as before. I'm staring at him." Clint said fiercely.  
Without squinting his eyes, he threw the stone in his hand to the bush next to him, and a hare became a corpse. He calmly stood up, walked over, came back with the hare, pulled out a dagger, began to skin it expertly.  
With eating, drinking and cooking, Spider instantly feels happy, it’s more important to hold the thigh in front of him, throw away fragile friendship with Tony without much guilt. Eat, shut up, don't defend Tony, better get out of the way.  
"My God, Spider, could you dry your uniform? How long has it been since you washed this dress? It smells nauseous. Better dry it with your mask." Clint complained. "I told you, I'm not interested in who you really are."  
"I'll be cold."  
"It makes you colder when it's wet. You really have no experience in wild. Can't your superpowers resist the cold? My God, you can wear mine first. Mine is dry." Clint took off his clothes, handed them to Spider-Man.  
Spider-man changed into Hawkeye's clothes. "Well, you can turn around now."  
"Ha-ha, you're still a kid." Clint turned his head to see Spider-Man wearing his big size clothes, it was a bit funny to be himself.   
"I am your good neighbor Hawkeye."  
Grand Canyon cliff, next to the Quinjet.  
The sunrise in the Grand Canyon was so beautiful, everything was dyed red, including the man sleeping next to him. Steve couldn't help looking at him for a long time. When Tony rolled over, half awake, opened his eyes, he was greeted with a long kiss.  
"Good morning, Tony."  
"Good morning, Steve. Did I miss a lot?"  
"Nothing important. The sun is just rising."  
"I think Hawkeye and Spider-Man can wait us a little longer."  
"They can."

30 km away, Colorado Riverside.  
"Good morning everyone. I think there's been a misunderstanding. I'm just a lost tourist."  
When Spider-Man opens eyes, he is surrounded by a group of gunmen. Hawkeye is nowhere to be seen...  
To be continued…


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24  
Grand Canyon, cavern secret base.  
This is the second time Spider-man has been locked up in a cell at the secret Zodiac base. He was a little worried the last time, but this time he took it easy. He was lying on the bed in the cell, his hands crossed under his head, tapping his legs idly. A blade of grass in his mouth, he humming a song.  
Just wait to be rescued, Spider-Man thought.  
Hawkeye's strategy is simple and pragmatic, with one acting as bait, directly letting the person behind the scenes walk from the dark to the light; the other one lurking behind, allowing the mercenaries to lead them directly to the secret base. In the dispute who should be the bait, Spider-Man lost rock-paper-scissors, so he is here.  
But things went awry, suddenly the alarm went off.  
"Someone's broken through the outer defenses!" Almost all the guards of the cavern were running towards the opening.  
What about the promised secret entry? Spider-man wondered. The original plan was that Hawkeye sneaked in secretly, rescued him, the two of them went out together and left here. How did he make such a fuss? It appears that Hawkeye's claims of extensive experience as an agent are exaggerated. Also, Hawkeye is just an ordinary human with no superpowers, has a low chance of winning against these well-trained mercenaries and high-tech equipment agents of Zodiac. Think of these, Spider has a little anxious, the leisure just now is gone. He rushed to the cell door, tried to open it by brute force, then powered back up by the defense system that's installed on the door.  
Tony got it done easily last time, teaming up with Iron Man is more reliable. But as a newcomer doesn’t have a say right. Spider thought sadly.  
After brute force failed, Spider had to do one last thing, Yelling:  
"Help! Here I am!"  
His yell was so loud, echoed in the cavern. It worked. Spider looked at a figure in the distance, breaking through layers of defenders, moving this way. So, he waved his hand, went on Shouting. When the rescuers reached the cell door, Spider froze.  
"Captain, how are you in here? Where's Hawkeye?"  
"That's what I was going to ask you. Why only you? Where's Hawkeye?" Steve said.  
"I think you'd better let me out first? I can give you a hand." Said Spider-Man. Then he looked at the fallen guard, added: "Or it's okay not to help you."  
"Think twice, give me a hand." Steve said with a smile. "But there's no gadget in my sleeve can open this door easily."  
"Believe me, I have tried. This door is tough."  
Steve stared at the door, thought.  
“Stand back!”  
Spider stood back.  
"I decided to do it the old way." Steve backed out 10 yards, then flew out of the shield, hit the electronic lock on the cell door.  
The lock sizzled, set off an explosion, sent the door crashing. Stones and dirt fell. The dusty Spider, coughing violently, came out of the dust.  
There was a loud explosion, more guards rushed this way. Brushing the dust off, Spider stood back to back with Captain, took up fighting position. This time it was my turn to fight. Spider thought happily. Then he swung the spider silk, kicked down a masked agent who rushed in front of him.

This morning Tony picked up Steve and detector, stepped on his jet boots, easily found the secret base.  
In the grass near the cave, Tony made a plan. Steve rushes in ahead with great fanfare to attract the guards. Then he dives, finds the base's core power source, destroys the device that affects the magnetic field in this area. Steve, as he had promised, did not contradict, approved of Tony's plan directly. Of course, Tony didn't know Spiderman was in here when he made the plan.  
Five minutes after Steve rushed in, Tony swaggered in with detector. All the way through stunned knocking down mercenaries and Zodiac agents.  
Steve is absolutely violent. Tony thought with a smile. Once in a while one or two woke up, saw him, Tony raised his gauntlets, they fell. Actually, I'm violent too. Tony laughed at himself.  
It's easy. The armor is on body, the equipment is in hand. This is the way Tony likes. It feels like everything is under his control. The detector swung harder as Tony approached the target. After a few turns, Tony made his way to the jamming facility. In the middle of the cave was a large silver-shining device. The left of the device was a mainframe, and a man stood next to the input panel. The man was dressed in a pale frock, wore a mask, which represented the constellation Libra. Tony raised his gauntlets at him.  
"Surrender, Libra, that's all. You've caused enough trouble lately. First you turned New York City into darkness night, and now turned Grand Canyon into Bermuda. Are you busy making chaos everywhere? Isn't your criminal organization short of money? Against Avengers as far as I know, after a few times, you are the only one left of Zodiac. No Taurus benefactor support, such as a third-rate street gang leader, now is not the kind of busy upstage the bank, in order to survive. You such tinkering around, creating the global terrorist event, really good? I don't understand the logic of you ringleaders. At any rate, your criminal career is over today."  
"Criminal mastermind, creating chaos, Ha-ha." Libra suddenly laughs, he raises his hand and slowly turns around. "Tony Stark, very well, very well. Just yourself today. I've been waiting for you."  
The Laugh of Libras confused Tony a little. How did he know who I am? Is he the one who sent the killers after Iron Man? It seems to be quite different from my previous speculation.  
But Tony was not flurried. He said calmly,  
"If you think that I am alone cannot catch you, then you are wrong. Today is not the day of New York City, I am not just having a pair of gauntlets, and I didn't come alone, other Avengers support is on the way."  
"The magnetic interference in this area is blocking communication, even it’s you can't solve it in such a short time, which is why you rushed straight to the base. Besides, Captain America and Spider-Man are busy right now. It will take a while to get here.”  
Spidy is here. Looks like Steve has help. Tony felt a great deal of relief at once, so he took his time. He is in no hurry to make a move. He wants to hold off Libra for more information. What Tony had asked Libran before was actually a question in his own mind as to why the remnants of Zodiac were so frequently creating such meaningless chaos around globe. Although they are criminals, criminals are also logical. What is happening currently does not conform to the usual practice of Zodiac.  
"Since we are pressed for time, I will make a short story. Today's Zodiac is no longer what it used to be. It is no longer a criminal organization, and I am not a criminal organization leader. As you said, I was the only one left after Zodiac encountered Avengers a few times. I was dissatisfied with the way others were doing things, rarely involved in the activities of the organization. I joined Zodiac only for one purpose: to seek knowledge of the cosmos.  
Zodiac has a key of knowledge, which can open the space of all dimension’s... To use the word of the age, 'digital library'. Others focus only on the weapons of knowledge, while I focus on philosophy, the philosophy of the cosmos. I've been studying it for years, and the answer is only one word 'Balance.' The multiverse must be balanced."  
"As a scientist, I believe only what I can prove. I don't believe in theology, nor in what you call 'philosophy'." Tony said.  
"Maybe you should believe, 'The end of science is philosophy.'"  
"That's nonsense. So, by your logic, Zodiac has sublimated from a criminal group to some kind of cult, dedicated to creating chaos, through terrorist activities to balance the universe? Don't glorify your crime. I've heard too many excuses. Every year, there are several lunatics hurt innocent people in the name of saving most people in the world. "  
"I think you got me wrong. New York City falls into a dark dimension, and Grand Canyon's magnetic chaos is not made by Zodiac." Said Libra.  
"So, you just happened to pass by just as the chaos was happening?"  
"You Avengers happened to pass by, too?"  
"We were there to solve the problem you've created."  
"You solved it? Is that so?"  
"If we hadn't attacked your base, foiled your plot, how would the black circle of New York have disappeared?" Tony said.  
"The circle of black dimensions in New York is what I made disappear." Libra replies calmly.  
"You said you didn't make the black circle. Then why did only the Zodiac agents were able to move around in the circle at that time, all other equipment failed?"  
"You hit the right point. I have the knowledge key of the cosmos, so our technology can work within the circle. No offense, I was the only one who could solve the situation."  
"After we took your base? What a coincidence!" Tony retorted.  
"Ridiculous! Do you think you've solved the problem by beating it up? I had solved it, of course, had no intention of fighting with you Avengers. I immediately led the gang out of New York."  
Looking back on that day in New York, Tony did feel that the Avengers had a much easier victory, as if Zodiac didn't really want to fight. Tony hesitated.  
"Tony Stark, you said you wanted proof, huh? This is the evidence. Although you don't have high-end knowledge of the universe, if you are really the smartest human being in this era as they say, you can still figure out the function of this device, right? See for yourself."  
Tony warily walks over to the device, runs the test. Libra is telling the truth. This device is used to adjust the magnetic chaos in this area.  
" The black dimensional circle in New York; the ocean tidal fluctuations caused by the subtle changes in the force field between the moon and the earth; the magnetic field chaos in the Grand Canyon...These unusual natural phenomena have been popping up intermittently around the world recently, many of them are very inconspicuous, difficult to detect."  
What Libra said, reminds Tony of some recent Avengers missions, most of which he missed, he only read about later in the database: dealing with California coastal surges and protests by Atlanteans; submarine testing water in the Atlantic ocean with unknown malfunction, undersea rescue; extinct volcano erupted suddenly, emergency evacuation of local residents; meteor shower smashed the town, supported the cleanup of damaged buildings...  
Compared with the threat posed by Hulk, they were minor, minor problems that no one would notice. If they hadn't searched for Hulk, passed this area, suddenly lost contact, they wouldn't pay special attention to the abnormal regional magnetic field. If libra is telling the truth, this issue is far more serious than the threat they are currently dealing with, could lead to a global crisis.  
"What clues do you have to the cause of these anomalies?" Tony asked.  
"It's just some conjecture, there is no reasonable explanation and sufficient evidence for these anomalies. So, I want you to let me go. I need time to find out. And you Avengers have been too busy lately to care about these little things."  
"Listen, I don't buy your cosmological nonsense about balance in the universe, and the world is full of so-called 'unusual natural phenomena' almost every day, plus you can't prove these are related." Tony said.  
"Iron Man... Now the fact is..." Libra chimes in.  
" Wait for me to finish. As I said, I only believe the evidence, you do prove that Zodiac is suppressing the magnetic field disorder in this area. Whatever mistakes you've made before, what you're doing now is a good thing, a right thing, so you've proved that you deserve a second chance. So, go!"  
If it was up to him, he would always give someone a second chance. Tony thought of Steve.  
"Thank you." Says libra.  
The noise of fight came nearer and nearer.  
"They're coming. Is there any other way out?" Tony asked.  
"There's a secret passage."  
"I hope you won't make me regret my decision today." Said Tony, lifting his gauntlets, knocking the rock out of the hole.  
Libra turns to Tony before leaving and says, " As a thank-you, I'll tell you something. I have looked into multiverse, almost every earth will have Iron Man AKA Tony Stark, so I know who you are. And, you, you're the most special of them all, so never ever give up, believe in yourself Tony, believe in yourself..."  
The words of Libra echoed in the empty cavern.  
The most special one? This applies to every Tony Stark, including the recently blackened one. These philosophical lunatics can recite a few chicken soup philosophies anytime. Tony shook his head, laughing at himself. He walked back to the machine, finished the final operation of balancing the magnetic field.  
To be continued…


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25  
Grand Canyon, The Secret Base of the Zodiac.  
The sound of the crash caught Steve's attention, he led Spider-Man to the source, where the road was blocked by a pile of rubble.  
He called over the rock, "Iron Man, are you, all right?"   
Built-in communications blackout, Steve didn't call Tony by his name to protect his identity.  
"I'm fine. I've found their device, trying to get rid of the magnetic confusion in this area. I blew the hole off so the Zodiac agents wouldn't interfere." Tony answered.  
"You'd better hurry. When I rescued Spider-Man, I just blew up the cell door, now you blow up the hole. I think this grotto can’t hold down too long."  
"You'd better start evacuating people fast. I can take care of myself. I'll get out in time."  
"Are you sure? "Asked Steve, a little worried.  
"Trust me, I can handle it. Quickly, a lot of people knocked unconscious by you."  
"Got it."  
"Stop，everyone!" Steve shouted. "This cave is falling down. If you want to survive, run!"  
Hearing this, the mercenaries and Zodiac agents who had just been fighting with them stopped and ran for the exit in a rush.  
"Well, we must wake up the persons we knocked unconscious." Steve says to the Spider-man next to him.  
" What about these who was injured and can't leave?" Asked Spiderman.  
"We'll have to carry them out." Steve said.  
"Ah... If I'd known about that, I wouldn't have been so heavy-handed." Said Spider-Man gloomily.  
"I thought you two might need a hand." At that moment Hawkeye came running up the side trail.  
"Here you are at last! Luckily, Captain got here in time, or I'd still be locked up." Said Spider-Man.  
"This cave is too big. I'm lost." Hawkeye's vague explanation.  
"We made so much noise, can't you find us? I admire you so much for your so-called well-trained agent skill." Spiderman just wanted to worship. I'm never going to team up with this unreliable guy again.  
"No more argue, hurry to save people." Steve put an end to the quarrel.  
Captain spoke with a serious face, who dare not to listen. They two both shut up, start to save people. As they walked out of the secret base carrying the last of the wounded, the caves collapsed behind them. Iron Man was not outside.  
“Tony!” Steve heard the rumble, turned and ran for the hole, Spider-Man grabbed him.  
"Captain, it's too late. The hole has collapsed, you can't rush in."  
"His armor should have a survival support system, as long as we dig this hole..." Steve said as he moved the rubbles.  
"If I remember correctly, this is an area where all the electronics are disabled by interference. So..." Said Spider-Man.  
"I won't give up! I must find him, with or without your help!" Steve said firmly.  
"I'll help you." Spider-man helped Steve move the rubbles, while Hawkeye stood motionless behind them.  
"We don't have to. I bet he's fine." Hawkeye said neither salty nor light.  
Just as Hawkeye said, Iron Man flew out the other side of the cliff, landed firmly on the ground. Steve surprised, stood up and hugged him.  
"Tony! You scared the heck out of me."  
"Told you, I can take care of myself." Said Tony, taking off his helmet.  
Tony was a little pleased to see him worrying about himself. He resisted the urge to kiss the man in front of him, instead, gave him a big smile.   
"I was a little late adjusting the equipment, too late to get out of there, but fortunately there is another way in the cave, leads me to the other side of the cliff."  
"It seems you were lucky to find another channel in time." Hawkeye interjected with a hint of irony.  
Steve knows Hawkeye dislike Tony, so he changed the subject.  
"Are we back in communication now?"  
"It has been restored. I've contacted S.H.I.E.L.D. They'll send someone to take the mercenaries and Zodiac agents. The Quinjet that Hawkeye and Spider-Man drove over was too damaged to be repaired. By a few repairs, the Jet Cap and I piloted should be use. We can go home soon. I'm going to fly over and fix it now."  
"I can go with you." After recovering from the loss, Steve dragged Tony, doesn't want to separate now.  
"You'll only slow me down, and you can’t fix it." Tony whispered.  
Then he said seriously: "Cap, I suggest you stay here, keep these guys in custody until S.H.I.E.L.D. 's agents arrive. It would be better for you to take over. Spiderman could come with me. He already has the basic knowledges, it's an opportunity to get a handle on Avengers equipment."  
"I agree." Spider-man quickly raised his hand and said, "I want to learn."  
"Well, let's do it. Iron Man and Spider-Man will fix up the Jet. Hawkeye and I will stay here to look after these guys, take over S.H.I.E.L.D." Steve returned to the captain's normal state, arranged the task.

Grand Canyon, 40 kilometers away on the cliff, next to the Quinjet.  
Tony ducked under the Jet, worked, Spider-man at his side, delivering tools at his request.  
"Thank Goodness you got me out. Hawkeye was driving me mad." Said Spider-Man.  
"You're welcome. I feel sorry for what you've been through these last two days. Do not know which sentence is wrong will ignite the powder keg. He has always looked at me unpleasantly, and I have always avoided him."  
"He was kind enough to take care of me when he didn't see you." Spider-man softened his tone a little as he remembered that Hawkeye had saved him and made food. "I think he was mostly upset with the older version of you. They might have had some old grudges."  
"I've been looking at Avengers database. Hawkeye thinks Tony caused the death of Mockingbird. She is his ex-wife. He wouldn't have come back if That Tony hadn't died. But in that situation, Tony just made a tough decision."  
"You're speaking for him." Said Spider-Man.  
"Yes, I've been getting a taste of his life lately. I'm even surprised how he managed to multithread his way through these messes. You know, I'm afraid I'm going to fail a bunch of subjects this semester."  
"Come on, you're a genius."  
"Geniuses have to show up for classes and hand in papers. God knows how many classes I have missed and how long the papers have been delayed. I don’t even dare to open the memo and voicemail."  
"I'd like to, but I can't. I'm too busy making money." Said Spider-Man gloomily.  
" In fact, I am also short of money. I launched a project in Silicon Valley, currently seeking investors. There are a few who are interested in calling me, but as you know, I am busy, and this matter has been delayed."  
"Well, making money for you is not the same as making money for me."  
"Pete, you're too smart to be an errand boy for the Daily Bugle. You can be my partner in the future. We could start a company together."  
"Not everyone has the talent to make money. You must have, at least Hawkeye confirms, That Tony's most useful asset is Avengers' moneybag."  
"I hope his prediction comes true. I can get the money before the Avengers really close." Said Tony, tightening a screw. "Pete, do you want to work on Jet with me? I can tell you some secrets."  
"Good, next time Quinjet has a condition I won’t be blind."  
Pete got on another skateboard, slid under the Quinjet, side by side with Tony. Watching Tony skillfully handle the delicate parts inside, listening to him as he tells him every tricks in it, suddenly, Peter found that the mechanical engineering is also an interesting subject.  
After they repaired the Jet, Tony put Pete back in the copilot’s seat, taught him how to start the Jet and operate the control panel.  
"Forget Steve's caveman lessons, Quinjet pilot drill and operations manual, I think that's what every Avenger needs. Plus, we can save a lot of money by reducing the incidence of malfunctioning." Tony said.  
"Maybe one day you'll be the leader, you can arrange the courses." Peter said.  
“It's too far away. Who will listen to me? I'm still a child in their eyes. Little kid, little boy, brittle little boy and so on. You're the only friend I've got in this time, Pete. "Tony said passionately.  
"Tony... I... You're a good friend to me too." Said Peter with a choked voice.  
This is the happiest time since Peter joined the Avengers. He suddenly thought it would be nice to be an Avenger, or even better, to team with Tony on a mission. But Tony will be dragged to his group by Captain nine out of ten. See the way Captain was in a hurry today, Peter knew he wouldn't let Tony go to another team easily. The thought cast a shadow over Peter's good mood.  
To be continued…


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26  
The Quinjet, on the way home to New York City.  
Steve was in the pilot's seat. Tony was in the copilot's seat. Hawkeye and Spider-Man in the back row.  
Hawkeye's expression was still cold, talkative Spidy chose to shut his mouth, so that neither of them spoke all the way. The two men in the front didn't pay any attention to what was going on in the back. They were all focused on each other. They exchanged glances and whispered all the way. The contact on the Jet lights up, Steve turns it on, the voice of Black Widow comes out.  
"Cap, how is your mission going?"  
"Tasha, we've found Hawkeye and Spider-Man, solved the magnetic turbulence in the Grand Canyon, on our way back.”  
"Very well, Cap. Thor has solved the Hulk problem, and he's found his god power again."  
"That's wonderful！" Steve said happily. "I think we should go back, celebrate with a party."  
"You've never been a party guy, Cap." Tasha was pleased too, made a joke.  
"Since the party guy didn't bring it up, I brought it up for him." Steve said.  
Steve turned to Tony and whispered, "It's been a long time since Avengers Mansion had a party. He's the one doing all this stuff, and since he, you know... Don't you mind, Tony? '  
"If I could drink alcohol at the party." Tony replied in a low voice.  
“Tony!”  
"Just kidding. It would be a terrible mistake if I drank with you around..." Tony reached out his left hand and touched Steve's right hand as he flew the Jet.  
"You made a worse mistake by teasing me." Steve gave Tony a hot look and Tony gave him an emotional smile in return.  
Then Tony solemnly spoke to the contact on the Jet. "It's nice Cap remembers when time to throw a party. I'm looking forward too, Black Widow."  
"That's settled, Tasha." Steve said solemnly to the contact device.  
“I'll tell Jarvis to prepare it. Welcome home, Cap. Widow offline."

Now and then Spidy glanced at Hawkeye sitting nearby, found that Hawkeye who had seen this scene showed anger in his eye.  
"So, you two hooked up again?" Hawkeye broke in coldly.  
"I think this place is a little crowded, it's too hot, anyone wants a cold drink, I remember there was a little fridge in the Jet." Spidy tried to cool the place down, but apparently no avail.  
This time Hawkeye angered Tony, who had hitherto forborne and ignored his cold words.  
“I don't think it's any of your business!” Tony fought back.  
"It's my business if this guy is a traitor."  
“What do you mean?” Tony said.  
"Don't think you can fool everyone with what you did in the Grand Canyon caves?" Hawkeye said.  
"What have I done?”  
"You let Libra go."  
"You followed me?!" Tony said.  
"You followed him?!" At this, Spider understood. "You left me in prison to die! What about implementation as planned? What about teamwork?"  
"Clint, we have talked about this before..." Steve said.  
"You know it?!" Tony turned to Steve and said, "I have my reasons..."  
"Yeah, I told him when you were working on the Jet. But Now I know why he wants to keep it down, talk to you in private. The so - called private treatment, it is to point to on the bed treatment? Can you handle this fairly, Cap?" Hawkeye said.  
"I believe you, but I think you should believe me, too. You should have told me the truth when the cave fell in. You didn't come out. I was really worried..." Steve said to Tony.  
"There was no time. And you know he followed me, but you don't say a word. Have I been trusted in this team?" Tony said.  
"Trust is earned, not by tricks. Do you think you seduced the leader; Avengers will be under your control?" Hawkeye went on with his vicious remarks.  
"That's what I was going to say," Spidy interposed. " The guy who is jealous of his teammates, abandon teammate, dare to speak up about trust? No wonder you can't get along with West Coast Avengers. Fortunately, you are not the leader of Avengers."  
"Spiderman, you're right, it's a bit crowded. I'll fly you back." Tony got up from the copilot, walked over to Spider-Man.  
"But before that..." With that Tony punched Hawkeye in the face. Before Hawkeye reacted it, Tony had opened the skylight on top of the Quinjet through a remote control built into the armor. He picked up Spiderman, was out of sight.  
"Tony..." Steve's voice was drowned out by the wind blowing in.  
"Wow, Quinjet has this function." said Hawkeye, touching the crooked jaw.  
"Clint, I think we need to talk." Steve turned to Hawkeye.

The top of a building next to Baxter Building, New York City.  
Tony was crouching on the roof, his armor tucked into his backpack. He was just Tony Stark again, 19-years-old Tony Stark.  
As he looked out into the light of New York City, Tony felt lonely. Five months ago, Steve broke into his home with the Avengers, disrupting his quiet life. He was so desperate to follow him into this strange world. He had never given much thought to what the departure would mean to him. He had lost almost everything, his parents, his friends, his old life, everything he knew. The reason for leaving, Tony tells himself, is to avenge his parents. But with Kang's failure and the death of his future self, the original reason has already ceased to exist.  
What's my reason for staying? Vaguely, Tony knew the answer, but he did not want to confirm it.  
Then Spider-Man walks up behind him, hands him a hamburger and a coke.  
"Thanks, Pete." Tony took the food and put it by his side, with no intention of eating.  
Spiderman sat down next to Tony, half opened his mask, drank coke through a straw, swung his legs out of the building.  
"You know what, Pete?"  
"What? Tony. "  
"Now it's late autumn, we don't really need to drink cold drinks."  
"I know, Tony."  
"You know what, Pete?"  
"What? Tony. "  
"I grew up with very few friends. They were too stupid for me. I was too smart for them."  
"I know, Tony."  
"You know what, Pete?"  
"What? Tony. "  
"When I was a child, my home was so big. Every time I woke up in the middle of the night, I would get lost in the dark. I was afraid, but I could never find my parents."  
"I know, Tony."  
"You know what, Pete?"  
"Tony Stark and Iron Man are not one and the same. Tony Stark is just a normal human; Iron Man is the superhero. Most of the time I'm just Tony Stark."  
"I know, Tony."  
"You know what, Pete?"  
"What? Tony. "  
"Growing up is such a disaster."  
"I don't know, Tony."  
"What? !"  
"Tony, you know what?  
"What? Peter."  
"Peter Parker and Spider-Man are one and the same, but I'm not Peter Parker, also not Spider-Man."  
"Peter? !"  
"I've just told you a secret, a secret of my true identity." With that, Spider-man took off his mask.  
A puzzled Tony watched carefully as the mask slowly lifted. For the moment he saw a boy with tawny hair and tawny eyes. It was exactly what Tony had expected.  
"You are Peter Parker." Tony said.  
"I'm not. I've only recently dyed my hair brown to look like Pete Parker, the Spiderman you know."  
"Who really are you?”  
"I really don't know who I am. They said that one of Peter Parker and I was the original Pete Parker, and the other was a clone of Pete Parker. But Mary Jane chose him. I had to choose another name for myself, Ben Reilly. Recently, MJ got pregnant. Peter wanted to live a normal life, so he and MJ moved to Portland. He gave me the Spider-Man title. I'd love to experience your bad growth, but I can't. I'm just a clone, right?"   
Tony was silent for a moment.  
"When I came to the future, was that always you? Was that Peter I knew always you?"  
"Well, since the real Peter was in Portland all this time, you should have known is me. And it's because of me that I keep making rookie superhero mistakes. Spiders fail to sense, fail to support teammates, have no survival skills in the wild, and often caught." Said Spider-Man gloomily.  
"Ha-ha, no wonder we're always screwing up. We're a rookie superhero duo." Tony laughed. " In light of that, the old Spider-man has given up, you are Spider-Man, the only Spider-Man, just like I'm Iron Man, the only Iron Man. Good work or bad, we are unique. Plus, we are cleaning up the mess they left behind."  
"Emmmm… You seem to have a point." Hearing Tony said, Spider-Man's frustration dissipated.  
"You're the one who helped me figure it out." Tony said.  
"Is it me? I'm flattered. I didn't seem to be able to help."  
"You walked most of Manhattan with me late at the night, didn't you?"  
"Well... It's nothing." Said Spider-man shyly.  
“So, you're Peter or Ben? Do you want me to call you Peter or Ben? '  
Spider-man mused.  
"Peter. I wish you would call me Peter."  
"Look, it's not MJ decide who you are, it's yourself." Tony put his arm around Pete's shoulder, leaned his head on.  
"We're still young, aren't we? You can still go through this horrible growth, going through it with me. We can grow up together, grow old together, not too old. And one day I'll be the great Iron Man, you'll be the great Spider-Man."  
"You definitely will! But I… I'll just be a little spiderman of neighborhood." said Peter, with a grin.  
"As you like." Said Tony, shaking Peter by the shoulder and smiling. "There's one more thing, I hope you'll forgive me."  
“What is it?”  
" The previous mission on the California coast was actually what I suggested to Tasha to let you back up. I know you were in the area and I was a bit busy, because at that time I was..." Tony whispered something in Peter's ear.  
"Tony, you're just... Told you, I don't want to know the details." Peter's face went red.  
"Isn't that the kind of secret a good friend should share? I always wanted to tell you afterwards, but one thing led to another, I had no chance, so have you forgiven me?"  
"Oh, I forgive you."  
"Thank you. There's something else I want to tell you."  
Then Tony tells Peter what happened in the Grand Canyon cave, and how he came to the future and was hunted down. Peter listens.  
"What do you think now?" Peter asks Tony after listening.  
"I have some theories now, but they are all guesses. These events are very fragmented, maybe some just happen to happen, maybe some are related." Tony said.  
"I think we have a clue." Peter said.  
"What is it?" Tony asked.  
"Dr. Octopus." Petrie paused. "Now that you've temporarily severed your ties with Libra, perhaps we can learn something from Dr. Octopus, who has been entrusted with Zodiac."  
"You're so smart, Pete."  
"So, shall we visit Dr. Octopus now?"  
"Some other day, Dr. Octopus is locked up, can't run away. Besides, earth won't be destroyed for a while. Today we have an anther battle to fight."  
"What battle? None of our Avengers ID cards rang. " Said Peter doubtfully.  
Tony didn't answer Peter's question right away. Instead, he said,  
“Are we best friends from now on, Peter? I mean that if you know my secrets, I know yours. '  
"We've been best friends for a long time, Tony."  
"Could you do your best friend a favor, a little favor? There's one thing I'd like to test."  
“What is it?” Peter scratched his head. He didn't follow Tony's thoughts, which were always jumping about. "No matter, I'll just help you."  
"That's it."  
Tony leaned over Peter and hugged him. Peter's eyes were wide open, watching Tony move closer and closer until Tony's lips touched his own. Pete had no idea what was going on. Thirty seconds later, Tony let go of the petrified Pete.  
" I just want to confirm how it feels to kiss another man." Tony said.  
"How does it feel?" Peter asked stiffly.  
"Cold and Wet." Tony said. "Really, Pete, you shouldn't drink so much ice on such a cold day."  
“Yes, I mean, I feel the same way about you. It's cold and wet.” Said Peter awkwardly.  
"Now, are we ready for the battle?"  
"Where?"  
"Party at Avengers Mansion."  
Tony triggered his backpack, put on armor, carried Peter off into the New York night. He was in such a hurry, didn't notice that Peter's index finger had been touching the spot where he had kissed for a long time.  
To be continued…


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27  
Avengers Mansion, New York.  
A banner in the drawing room reads "Celebrate your Hammer return".  
The party at The Mansion was not lively. It was impromptu, not many people were present, except for the resident staff of The Mansion. Jane and Hank are still on their way from Southampton with the Quicksilver family. Black Widow, the organizer of the party, was a cold fish. She was dressed as usual, sitting gracefully on the sofa with a glass of wine in hand.  
Wanda came, sat down next to Tasha. She wore a long red frock, narrow and strapless, with her long curls pulled back from her red headband.  
"Thanks, Tasha." Wanda began.  
"Thanks for what? Wanda."  
"Today seems to be back to the past, those happy days when everyone got together."  
"Not much. I'm not a good party organizer. I don't know how to go around talking, how to heat up the atmosphere."  
"You're amazing! There's been a lot going on lately, a lot going on inside the Avengers. We lost Cap, we lost Tony, we lost Thor, thanks to you, we got through it.  
"I'm sorry, Force Works disbanded." Tasha said.  
"I'm not as good as you are." Wanda dropped her eyes, fiddled with her skirt.  
"You should have some confidence in yourself. You're a good leader." Tasha said.  
"I'm not. I have questioned of Tony's irrational behavior, but I have not probed into it. I have chosen to trust his authority, his experience. After all, he founded Force Works, right? All of this might have been avoided if I had been more insistent."  
"You should hold on a little bit more, believed in yourself a little bit more, maybe next time it will be you leading the Avengers through." Tasha said.  
"It won't be mine. I mean, it's Avengers, right? The greatest heroes in the world, I'm just a former criminal, a wandering mutant, I'm just..."  
" You are a strong woman, you have already proved that, Wanda. Don't forget, long time ago, I was just a killer crawling out of the red house."  
"Tasha... "  
"And we know at least one thing after this, we can't indulge men too much, inside them all lives a little boy. Most of times we women are more mature and calmer, know when to make tough rational decisions."  
"Thanks, Tasha."  
"What's this time for?"  
"Lots of things." Wanda pursed her lips. The haze lifted from her face. She smiled at Tasha.

Steve, the other organizer of the party, was trying to talk to Thor. He didn't want to be rude, but he was a little distracted.  
"Mine freond, se hof is fylle todage, ne eald mal breahtm." Thor is sitting next to Steve.  
“I'm sorry, Thor, but I'm not very good at parties like this. But I'm glad you found your power again." Steve said.  
" Gedwola plegian in pes fana, Mjolnir ne mislaid, butan se fruma of mine drafan."  
"Ha-ha, Thor, you can understand, it is a kind of human humor."  
"I cunnan na to understando se wynn of hit." Thor said doubtfully. " butan se heortan of mine freondas is genog to macodon me felan bliss."  
"Thor, why don't you tell me the details of what happened? I'm really sorry I wasn't there with you that time." Steve knew Thor liked to tell stories about battles, and he was kind enough to bring it up.  
"Hulk is an selden feond in mine lif. I habbe feaht mid him fela langlice beforan, ne sige. Se feoht is an lif and hryre of Midgard, mine lic is badan, Mjolnir earfopne to drafan..." Thor began to rattle on about the details of his battle with Hulk. Steve chimed in now and then, but he couldn't keep his eyes off the door.  
Thor spoke for 20 minutes, finally sensed something was wrong with Steve.  
"Mine freond, thou habbe sum to sorh, mieht specan mid me. I beon georn to dale thy sorge, ablinnan it mid thee."  
"I'm sorry, Thor, I was distracted. You were supposed to be the star of today."  
"Hwy cunnan thou secgan se? Wit brothers. alatan me, mine eald freond Tony ne wendan. Is se macie thee earm? I witan se thou faran to Grand Canyon to secan se weg of Hawkeye. Hwy wendan anlice seon thou and Hawkeye?"  
"We agreed on a party for the evening on the way back, then got into some arguments. Tony flew away in a huff..." Steve said a little sadly.  
"Ha-ha, I witan se Tony is gedon thy heorte. Ne sorh hit. I witan Tony for gears, fela beadus. He is na an nearu wac mann."  
"He's not the Tony you know, he's from 10 years ago, he's only 19, he's just a kid."  
"I witan se in beadu of New York City. lin and mod, gast and sawol ne gedaledlice. Thou mortals be megan. Butan wit Gods alibban for fela gears, cunnan be mann, cunnan be wif, cunnan be eald, can be geong, eall for ansien, butan midd a man."  
"Listening to what you said, I seem to be a little overprotected. I always treat him like a child." Steve shook his head, laughed at himself after hearing Thor's words.  
"Mine froend, thou habbe afre snotor, butan dysig in se leoht ping, eall for in lufu. Ha-ha." Thor laughed, patted Steve on the shoulder.  
"Ah? Is it that obvious?"  
" I habbe be feorr fram Midgard for fela months, butan how cunnan mine froend's geþohtas be hydan fram me? Se nuances cunnan be secgan to me. I wille lufige to hyran. Jarvis, folgap se win!"

The golden-mask girl sits alone in a corner. Joining the Avengers for months, she still hasn't found a place to belong. Hellcat sits next to her with a plate of cookies.  
"It's kind of boring, like a retirement home. Would you like some dessert?" Hellcat handed over the plate.  
"Thank you." The girl picked up a biscuit, began to eat.  
" It would be nice if that handsome black-haired boy could come." Said Hellcat.  
"Which one?"  
"The one you went to the island last time for training. Don't you think he looks charming when he smiles? I wish I could have the luck you have."  
"I don't want any more of that luck. He's a playboy, and I'm not interested in him." Said the golden-mask girl.  
"A playboy? It sounds dangerous and attractive. Since you're not interested, next time I see him, won't you mind if I talk to him a little more?"  
With those words, Tony appears at the door, pulling Spiderman.  
"Speak of the devil, there he is. The party is interesting now." Hellcat got up, put down the plate, started to walk to him.

Tony pulls Spider-Man into the middle of the drawing room. Spider-Man trailed behind Tony. Tony picked up an empty goblet nearby, tapped it several times with a fork.  
"Attention, everybody! I have something to say."  
Everyone looked into the middle of the drawing room. Peter was horrified to suddenly be the center of attention.  
"Tony... Are you sure you want to do this? I don't think it's a good idea. So many people in here, the matter can be discussed at a better time, maybe next time." Whispered Spiderman.  
"Now it is the right time. So many people are good, as soon as possible, no excuses, no delays. "Tony replied.  
“First of all, I want to congratulate you for getting the hammer back, Thor.”said Tony loudly.  
“Butan mine froend, Mjolnir is na...” Thor interrupted.  
"Shh." Steve grabbed him, motioned him to shut up.  
"The second thing is…I'm going to take a founder's vote on Spider-Man officially joining the Avengers. Don't get me started on my age. Iron Man is one of the founders. Tony Stark is one of the creators. I'm Iron Man now. I'm Tony Stark. I know the terms of Avengers charter."  
"I have no objection. I agree to vote." Steve looked at Tony with a smile.  
"Gea." Thor said.  
“Wasp and Giant man are still on their way, so we can have a meeting as soon as they arrive.” Steve said.  
"Come on, Cap..." Hawkeye's word was stopped by Tasha.  
Tony glared at Hawkeye, continued. "And... The third thing..."  
Tony drawled and walked slowly up to Steve. As he got closer, the whole room was watching him. And Steve kept smiling at him, which made Tony a little more confident.  
Tony walked up to Steve, stood on his toes, put his hands around Steve’s neck, closed eyes, and kissed him hard. This is a very long kiss. Tony was a little reluctant to let go. What he had just said, and what he had done, had taken almost all his courage. He's a little afraid to let go at one moment, afraid of what's going to happen next, afraid of what other people will look at him.  
Tony slowly parted from Steve. He whispered in Steve's ear, "What's their reaction?"  
"They were petrified and looked at us with disgust." Steve whispered in Tony's ear.  
“Is it?”  
"So, do you regret it?" Steve said.  
"I don't."  
Tony didn't dare raise his head, but he plucked up his courage and said "If any of you are going to use this as an excuse to think the founders voted unfairly, look at Jane and Hank. They vote one for one, too. Personal relationships don't affect my fairness."  
"But it will affect me." Steve whispered in Tony's ear. " I will do anything you want me to."  
"Steve."  
" Well, if any of you have a problem with this, now is the time to say it." Tony raised his voice.  
"Actually, I..." Hawkeye was about to raise his hand again, and this time he met the fierce look of Cap. He put his hand quietly behind his back. “I... I thought the wine was good today."  
Tony looked up and around. There was no look of surprise on the faces, no look of disgust, as if this were just a daily thing at Avengers Mansion.  
"Did they already know?" Tony asked Steve quietly.  
"They already knew."  
"You lied to me."  
"Yes."  
Thinking of his high-profile announcement of this "secret" just now, Tony blushed. He tried to cover up his embarrassment by changing the subject quickly.  
"One last thing, the music here needs a change. Steve, are you playing World War II veterans club music? Spiderman, could you change the music for us if you don't mind?"  
Thankfully, it's no longer the center of attention in the drawing room. Spiddy, who had been granted amnesty, immediately ran to the corner and turned off the old phonograph, in place of rhythmic electronic rock and roll. The crowd clapped and cheered.

Over the noise Thor laughed and came forward. He stepped between them and put his arm round their shoulders.  
"Mine froend, Steve, thou feallan se bet, thou sculan drenc mara. Mine friendas, und alles war irgendwann neulich, Jarvis, folgap mara win."  
"Thor, I quit drinking." Tony said.  
"He quits.I'm not drinking today." Steve said.  
"Thou ne wynna ."  
Jarvis came up with the plate.  
"Master Thor, your mead. Young Master Anthony, your Shirley Temple. Your tea, Master Steve."  
Tony felt as if Jarvis had winked at him and smiled. But the housekeeper's professionalism soon restored his deadpan expression.  
"Young Master Anthony, are you going to move back?" Jarvis said.  
"Not so soon, not so soon, Jarvis."  
Tony looked thoughtfully at Jarvis as he left. When he turned around, he saw Thor and Steve both staring at him.  
"What? Why are you both looking at me? I'm not ready to move back yet. I was just thinking, I think Jarvis has changed the title to you."  
" I do na witan thou midd." Thor said.  
“Not you, Thor. He used to call you 'Master Rogers'."  
"He's been calling me 'Master Steve' ever since." Steve said with a wink and a smile.  
"I see, he knew." Tony nodded. Then he turned to Thor. "You knew that too, didn't you? Thor."  
" I do na witan thou midd." Thor faltered.  
“There's something I think we should talk about seriously, Thor. I know he is your friend for many years, he may be more cautious, more able to coordinate all kinds of relations, but I am not him. Well, I'm kind of straightforward, so I'm going to be honest with you. You've been roaming the earth for thousands of years, you know our language, and you can speak our language. So, when you're with us, can you modify the way you speak a little bit? I mean, could you speak human words? I really don't understand God words." Tony said.  
"I... I think I can agree.” Thor said.  
"Ha-ha, my friend, Thor, you've lost the bet this time." Steve said with a smile.  
Just then Jane walked in, wearing a low-cut black and yellow evening gown of her own design, her hair pulled up high to make her look radiant. She walked straight to the table where Tony and the others were.  
"It's so lively. Is everyone here already?" Jane said.  
Hank came over, too.  
"I'm sorry we're late. Jane has changed clothes several times."  
"It's a big day, founders reunion day. Congratulations, Thor, finding your hammer again." Jane said.  
“Butan mine Mjolnir, mine froend...'  
"Thor......" Tony drawled.  
"I didn't lose my hammer in the first place, but I wasn't strong enough to handle it before."  
"That's better, thanks, Thor." Tony said.  
"Not bad, Thor, for the first time I understand what you mean. Let me explain to you the laughing point here, actually..."  
Hank dragged Thor aside to talk, while Jane continued to join in the conversation between Steve and Tony.  
"We haven't missed anything important, have we?"  
"No big deal. Hawkeye was beaten, once by Tony, once by me." Steve said.  
"You punched him?" Tony interrupted.  
"He deserves it." Steve said.  
"Well, I think I'm still missing a little bit, and what else?" Jane said.  
"Tomorrow we're having a founder vote meeting to decide if Spider-Man will become a full member. It's late today and everyone is in a party mood. Let's meet tomorrow, Tony, is that all right? '  
"I agree." Tony said.  
"Me too. What else?" Jane said.  
"And... it is... About 30 minutes ago, Tony was standing in the middle of this room, banging fork, yelling for everyone to look, and then... Then..." Steve laughed aloud. "He... He kissed me hard for about 30 seconds."  
"Ahem... "  
Tony looked the other side, pretending he had not done it himself.  
" It's all your fault, Hank. You drove too slowly. Look what we missed. Congratulations, Cap. "Jane leaned in and kissed Steve on the right cheek, then she turned kissed Tony on the left. “And you, Tony. I knew you two would be together again. It's like back to the old days, isn't it? We're family again."  
"We've always been a family, Jane, always. We will always come back when we get lost. "Steve said emotionally.  
"Welcome home, Tony." Jane shed tears and hugged Tony for a long time. " When are you going to move back?"  
" Actually, I have no plan to ..." Tony said.

To be continued…


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28  
Avengers Mansion, New York City.  
A banner in the drawing room reads “Celebrate your..." The words on the back were blacked out. The party at Avengers Mansion came alive. Spider-Man was the best DJ of tonight.  
Jane was so happy, drank a lot of champagne, basically danced with everyone until her high hair fell over her shoulders. Finally, Hank stepped forward, helped Jane to the study, which was full of old photographs and memories of their past. Jane drank too much, fell into his arms.  
"Jane, you're tired." Hank said.  
"I'm just so happy today."  
Hank stroked Jane's hair, straightened it out, and said lovingly, "Jane, I know I've done a lot of mistakes, I hurt you before. But... Can we go back again? Would you give me another chance?"  
"Hank, aren't we all right now? Let’s go of the past and forget about the future." Jane was half drunk, because Hank had sobered up.  
"If Cap and Tony could do it all over again..."  
"Tony is only 19. They can start over. But I am no longer the innocent girl who only had you in the eyes when I married you. Those scars, I cannot forget, do not want to forget. Cherish now Hank, cherish now."

Vision is always the last one appears of parties. These gatherings contain too much human emotion, which he will never experience again after his rebirth. Vision had been erased the feelings of Wanda, but Wanda could not erase her own. So, she is always waiting for the emergence of Vision. Don't know why, today she suddenly tired, she never stupid looking toward the door again, maybe cause the words of Tasha, maybe 19-years-old Tony impressed her enthusiasm, to remind her what is love, what is about two people love each other. So, she enjoyed the evening, so she provoked Flamenco. She is the hot red gypsy girl again, the red focal point. She talked about love while she was dancing with Tony.  
"Oh, Tony, you're so brave, you're braver than he was." Wanda said.  
"Braver than who? That Tony?" Tony guessed from Wanda's words.  
"Yes. In fact, we all vaguely know what happened between him and Cap, but he never said it, never showed it the way you do." Wanda said, slightly excited.  
"It's more naive than brave." Tony shrugged a little dejected. "I guess I'm not mature enough to cover it up perfectly. So, I did this stupid thing tonight."  
"It's not a silly thing, it's a great thing. A lot of people will be moved by it, I am moved by it. But you're really not very good at covering it up." Wanda smiled. "Before tonight, almost everyone resident in this mansion knew it. You love him and he loves you. When you both are in the same space, you hardly ever take your eyes off each other. Even if your gaze leaves for a moment, it is just that you two avoid each other's gaze before confirm each other's feelings."  
“Love?” Tony hesitated. "Actually, Wanda, I -- I didn't want to use the word 'love' to define relationship between me and him. It is just happened, and I just let it happened. My feeling for him is not so much love, as it is attraction that I don't understand myself, or the hormonal response of a creature."  
"You're fooling yourself, Tony." Wanda laughed at Tony.  
"This is real, Wanda. It is real."  
"I know that feeling, I've been there. It's just that the looks I cast are no longer being answered. How long can you hold on if someone you love no longer has the emotional connection to you?" Actually, it is a Wanda's self-deprecating rhetorical question.  
"It won't be long. I'll move on." But Tony answered it anyway.  
"Speaking of which, when are you going to move back?" Wanda asked.  
"Actually, I have no plans to move back." Tony replied helplessly.  
"Ha-ha, Tony... You…" Wanda laughed.  
The enthusiastic Wanda did not notice that tardy Vision had been watching her for a long time from the door.

After the handsome brunet kissed the handsome blonde captain in public, Hellcat was very depressed all the night. She said to the golden-mask girl next to her: "Why all the handsome men are gay now? Didn't you say he is a playboy?"  
"Doesn't that just make him a playboy?" Replied the golden-mask girl.  
"I don't understand."  
"You will understand."  
Just then Hawkeye went up to the girl with golden mask.  
"Would you like a dance? This piece of music is perfect for a beautiful girl like you."  
"I'm not interested." The golden-mask girl replied coldly and turned away. Hawkeye set his eyes on Hellcat.  
"Don't look at me. I'm not interested in a man with a swollen face." Hellcat turned and left.  
Thor came up behind Hawkeye, patted him on the shoulder and laughed.  
"My friend, be gallant and firm to women, learn from me." Then Thor followed Hellcat.  
" My dear lady, may I have the honor of dancing with you. I think your swaying dance will make this room flourish." Thor said to Hellcat with a deep bow. Hellcat smiled, accompanied Thor down the dance floor.

Hawkeye sat downcast in a chair, drinking his wine. Tasha walked over to him, handed him an ice pack. Hawkeye put it on his face, sure enough, the place where he had been beaten was burning.  
"Thank you, Tasha. Beaten by Stark, that's enough. I didn't expect Cap hit me so hard."  
"You deserve it, told you, not to poke into their private affairs." Said Tasha coldly.  
"It's not fair. They will certainly continue to play favorites in Avengers, and Stark will..."  
" For those years, why don't you understand?" Tasha broke in on Hawkeye. "The Avenger has not been weighed on the scales since the day of its foundation. If it weren't for favoritism, would you be here? Would I be here? Would Wanda and Quicksilver be here?  
The so-called Avengers’ Charter and various signed legal agreements were written by Tony for outsiders, for the government, for the media. Avengers themselves, whoever is in charge, have the same result, are favoritism. It is impossible to be part of Avengers without knowing the word of 'private'.  
Do you think that only lofty ideals can sustain us for so many years? Let us risk our lives to protect the lives of our teammates? Let us make mistakes over and over again, still be forgiven and accepted?  
Avengers is not an official body run by the government. We are more like a family; everyone is a family. We might have arguments, misunderstandings and lies, but we also have understanding, protection and forgiveness.  
We cannot guarantee that every decision made by those in charge will be the right one, or the just one, or the selfless one, but we can make sure that each of them does not view the rest of the family as less important than the one they love most. Cap wouldn't trade your life or mine or anyone else's life for Tony's, and Tony wouldn't trade anyone else's life for Cap's. That's what's special about them, that's what's special about Avengers, that's what's special about this family. We protect the world and each other."  
It was as if Clint had heard Tasha say so much for the first time. He had always found her cold. Maybe her enthusiasm is buried under her cold exterior.  
"Tasha, may I kiss you?"  
"Yes, if it's just a family kiss." Said Tasha coldly still.  
Clint kissed Tasha on the lips, a long kiss, and Tasha did not refuse.  
"Are we having an affair now? Tasha."  
"We always have."

In the corner Steve is holding Tony for a slow dance. Before this dance, Tony danced three times with Jane, two times with Wanda and two times with Crystal. He even danced with Tasha once. Finally, Steve couldn't hold up, going to the DJ and asking him to play an old tune.  
"I felt like the DJ was giving me a hard time tonight, playing modern pop all the time. The old man does not know how to dance and they can keep taking you away." Steve said.  
" I think everyone likes these songs except you. Just cause you're so old-fashioned." Tony said.  
"We haven't had a founder vote yet; I think he should know to give me a little bribe."  
"Four on one, I think he was right to beat the majority." Tony said with a smile.  
"Four on one?"  
"Yes, old man, Thor was dancing with Hellcat."  
"Thor? Are you telling the truth?"  
“Yep, you're not as good as Thor when it comes to fashion. And didn't you say the vote would listen to me? That's five to zero."  
"But according to the agreement, you must listen to me first. I was wondering when it would be right time for us to slip away." Steve whispered in Tony's ear.  
"So, you took me into the corner on purpose?"  
"In fact, I've been thinking about stealing you all night after that daring thing you did tonight."  
"And I spent the whole night thinking about making a machine that would erase all of your memories of this event."  
"So, are you regret it?"  
"Yep. I'm feeling blue in my gut."  
“Too late, Tony, too late. You have limited options now. Should I take you as a hostage before the end of the song? Or should I kiss you and kidnap you in public when the lights come on after the music is over? I'm sure no one will want to save you from me after what you had done tonight."  
"Oh, you won." Tony tiptoed in Steve's ear.  
Then they stole away before the music was over.

To be continued……


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29  
Avengers Mansion, New York City.  
A banner in the living room reads "Celebrate your..." The words on the back were blacked out.  
After receiving the DJ job, Peter finally got his wish, hid in a corner. He watched in silence. He saw Thor laughing as he put his arm around Tony's shoulder; he saw Jane holding Tony for a long time; he saw Cap looking at him, and Hank cutting in every now and then... The five founders of Avengers got together, Tony just fell in. They all loved him; they all thought of him as family; and they were waiting for him to come back home.  
In the Avengers family, Peter himself was a bit of a fish out of water. The idea of joining Avengers seems to have started out with a lot of enthusiasm from Tony, and then he announced it tonight in a very high-profile way. I never really thought about whether I really wanted to join Avengers. I just didn't want to spoil his fun, so I obeyed him. But then Peter asked himself, do I really belong here?  
Just then, Peter noticed someone pulling on his uniform; a little girl looking up at him.  
"Spiddy, Spiddy, would you play with me?"  
Peter bent over and picked up the little girl, who put her arms happily around his neck. Then Quicksilver and Crystal came along.  
"Luna, you came here."  
Crystal tries to pick up her little girl, but the little girl still has her arm around Spider-Man's neck.  
" Spiddy, Spiddy. "  
"She likes you, that's great. Could you please take care of her for me for a while? You know we haven't been able to recruit anyone since the accident of her nanny Marilla, so we'll have to bring her to the party today.” Crystal said.  
"Sure, good neighbor spiderman is always at your service." Peter said.  
"Thank you, Spiderman. I was just going to ask Crystal to dance to this piece." Quicksilver patted Spider-Man on the shoulder. "I hope you're officially joining Avengers this time."  
Peter spent the rest of the evening taking care of the kid and switching music. Until Cap came up, handed him an old disc, asked him to play an old song, a love song from '40s. Peter hesitated for a moment. He did not know why he wanted an excuse to refuse, but any excuse did not come into his mind in time, so he put the disc on the phonograph.  
As the music began to play, he saw Cap walk up to Tony, take Tony's hand, and walk off the dance floor. Then Peter saw them in a corner, hugging and dancing, whispering to each other, Tony laughing now and then. Before the music was over, Cap took Tony by the hand and slipped away through the door at their side. Peter stared blankly at the empty door for a long time.  
At this time, the little girl who found spiderman in a daze was not happy, she shook Peter.  
" Spiddy, Spiddy."  
Peter touched her head and said, "Looks like, you're the only one who wants to be with me tonight."

As the hours grew later, almost all the chaperones sneaked away. Rarely enjoy the two of them at the moment, Quicksilver and Crystal but the last exit. They come to Peter.  
"Thank you, Spiderman, for keeping an eye on Luna all night. Isn't she naughty?" Crystal said.  
"I should thank her. I am very happy to have her company." Said Peter, handing the sleeping girl over to her parents.

Peter seemed to be the only one left in the empty hall, ready to turn off the music and swing home. At that moment, the golden-mask girl came from a corner.  
"DJ, would you mind playing another tune?" Said the girl. "I want to dance. You can dance with me if you like."  
"Yes, of cause. Thank you for inviting me." Peter said shyly.  
Music plays, Peter dances with golden-mask girl.  
"You know, we're the only two here for the masquerade tonight." Said the girl.  
"Hmm... It seems so, when you say."  
“I know how you feel. We don't belong here, or we can only stay in the corner of this room." Said the girl.  
"Probably..."  
"He belongs here. He's the one who likes to show off in the spotlight."   
"Who?" Peter wondered.  
"The man who dragged you in."  
"He did it for me..."  
"Don't argue for him. He's not defending for you. He is for himself. Launch a founder voting for you? That's bullshit. The third act was his goal. He just wants to use it as an excuse to get his leadership back in Avengers. "  
"Maybe he had other purposes, but Tony is my friend..." Peter said.  
"You speak for him when you know he's used you?!"   
"Oh, if I say I'm willing..."  
"You are passionate about him, aren't you?"  
"Ah? Me?! I didn't! I don't..." Peter started, then looked down and replied, "I... I don't know..."  
"You're not the only one watching from behind a mask at this party. You haven't looked away from him all night. But when he gets what he wants, he forgets about you." The gold-mask girl continued with a sigh. "Whoever you really are, remember what I say‘he's a playboy, anyone who falls in love with him has no end’."  
"But Tony is not him now..." Peter defended Tony.  
"The essence of a person does not change."  
"I feel sorry for you, I really do." The golden-mask girl's words echoed in Peter's ears.

Steve pulled Tony around the corridor. Though they did it very gently, they bumped into Jarvis just before they reached the door of Steve's room. Jarvis strutted along, holding the tray firmly in his hand. Tony wished he was wearing invisible armor.  
"Young Master Anthony, Master Steve, good night." Jarvis said calmly.  
“Good night, Jarvis.” Steve said.  
"Niiiiighnt, Jar... Jarvis." said Tony, blushing.  
Until Jarvis disappeared around the corner that Tony followed Steve into the room. Steve's passionate kiss fell as the door closed behind Tony. But When Steve kissed Tony, Tony was absent-minded; when he unbuttoned his clothes, he was still absent-minded; when he touched him, he was still absent-minded…… Steve had to stop.  
"Tony, are you over thinking again?"  
"I am not... Well, I am. Though I did a stupid thing tonight..."  
"That's not a stupid thing."  
"Say what you will. I mean, after tonight, nothing's going to change between us, right?"  
"It won't change anything."  
"I only did it tonight because Hawkeye pissed me off, and I didn't really mean to say anything. Don't want to declare that you belong to me, or I belong to you."  
"Not an announcement. Nothing exclusive."  
"We don't put a label on our relationship, do we? Like we said at the Grand Canyon."  
"No label."  
"I have no plans to move back."  
"Don't move back as you wish."  
"And..."  
“What else?”  
"No, we can go on."  
"Where are we? I seem to have forgotten." Steve said with a smile.  
“Steve!”  
"Next time, at the moment like this, don't let your imagination run wild."  
"Are you going to put this requirement in our agreement?"  
"I am going to try to make you forget your imagination at this moment."  
"You should try a little harder."  
"Like this, or that?" Steve whispered in Tony's ear as he unbuttoned his belt, half dropped his pants, and stroked between his legs. Tony's body became gripped by desire.  
"Wuu......" A series of broken moans.  
"Am I the only one you think about now?"  
"Emmm."

After a while, Tony lay comfortably on Steve's chest, feeling his hand slide from his neck down his spine to an inch below his tail-vertebrae, no more, no less, always in that position, and every time his finger got there, Tony would give a little shiver, and then it would slide back in reverse. It was a slow, comfortable, grinding motion, not intense, not wild, just twisted and twisted. It tugged at Tony's body, made him feel hot under his belly, made him crave more every time, a little bit more... When Tony is half attentive to his body pleasures, his mental defense is lower and his IQ is only half left. He just casually started the conversation, the question he'd always wanted to ask but didn't want to ask formally.  
"When did they find out?”  
"When you tapped a fork, called for everyone to watch our kiss."  
"You mean to say that for the rest of our life."  
"Maybe two lifetimes."  
"I'm asking you and him, how you were be found. For all I know, you are very good at concealment, and he is very good at disguise."  
"You want to hear the old stories again?  
"Just ask."  
"Remember that creepy alarm system on my door?"  
"The one that changes passwords once in a while?"  
"I once forget the code, cause the whole mansion to be locked down. He had to fly back from California overnight. The next day, cause I insisted, he took the combination lock off. You know, the mansion was not very large, when Avengers had an urgent mission, one or two would break into my room, like Hawkeye."  
" So, you are actually caught in bed." Tony laughed.  
"Pretty much," Steve chuckled. "Clint, you know, is not a man who likes to keep things to himself. Then it will probably come to light."  
"At least I won't have to put a combination lock on your room."  
"There's no secret that can be locked forever with a combination lock. It's much easier not to hide it. It will be easier for me, it will be easier for us, so I really appreciate your stupidity."  
"Well, now you say I am silly."  
"You're just too smart. You've always been too smart. You always think too much, too complicated. It's good to be silly once in a while. Sometimes we don’t need to be too smart, the simple way is the good way.”  
"Are you in good captain didactic mode again?"  
"Where is the good captain? I haven't seen him. I only saw a man who wanted to do some dirty thing with you again."  
At the time when they had been chatting, Tony's body had warmed up again with the little stroke, hardened underneath, and the fluid of desire had dripped down upon him, bring more damp cravings.  
"Have you been thinking of letting me go down a little bit?"  
"Emmm."  
"More and more?"  
"Emmm. "  
"You're becoming more and more honest like this time, Tony." Steve gives Tony a rewarding kiss, and his hand slides down an extra inch. This action roused Tony to a more violent shudder, and the chest implant flashed continually, exposing his owner's longing. It makes his other half of the IQ is not on duty, let him lose the ability to think and the logic of language expression. He allowed himself to rise, fall in bosom; to rise, fall in desire.  
"I'll slide down a little, a bit. Scream when you're in pain." With that Steve split Tony's buttock.  
"Emmm."  
"But I won't stop even if you screamed."  
They didn't talk for the rest of the night, just leave Tony's small moans and Steve's gasps. Finally, Tony sleeps in Steve's arms. As the moon shone through the window, penetrated the darkness of the room, Tony looked defenseless with the childlike look still on his sleeping face. Steve, his mind a little up and down, couldn't sleep. He couldn't help but kiss Tony on the cheek. The movement evidently disturbed Tony's sleep, so that, for a moment, he deliriously turned on his side to the other side of the window. Steve rolled over, hugged him from behind, buried his head in his neck. His hair smelled of his old shampoo. He had actually been living in his room for a long time.  
What difference does it make whether you move your things back or not? You are all right in my arms. Steve wasn't going to tell the truth to silly Tony.  
Steve is feeling some ‘happy ending’ at this point in tonight, but he knows it won't be ‘the end’ of him and Tony. Because Tony's stupid. He's always stupid. There was no way he could stop his foolishness. The only way was to find out the card in his genius's head before he did folly, so that he could protect him and not lose him again. Steve couldn't compare which Tony he love more, but there is only one Tony in his life.  
Thinking of this, Steve held Tony in his arms tighter. It made Tony feel some discomfort in his dream, unconsciously pulled himself free. Steve smothered his struggle and kissed his neck. The kisses apparently evoked memories of Tony's body, so he stopped struggling and rolled over to face Steve.  
"Steve." Tony raved in his dream.  
"Tony, I love you." Steve whispered.  
"Em."  
Then Tony fell asleep again. Steve fell asleep smelling Tony's hair.  
They slept a little too long that night, so they were late for the founders voting meeting next day. When they walked in awkwardly, saying sorry, noticed they were the first to arrive, others were late too. When everyone was there, they voted. Not surprisingly, Spider-Man got five votes.  
To be continued……


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30  
The Vault, Colorado  
It's a gruesome prison where superpowered criminals are housed in centralized. Tony went to see Dr. Octopus. Tony didn't take Peter with him. He went by himself. Iron Man's identity allows him to be unquestioned.  
"Octavius, we'll talk if you don't mind." Tony said.  
"I'd rather be called Doctor Octopus." Dr. Octopus replied.  
"All right, Doctor Octopus. If you're cooperative enough, I'll talk to S.H.I.E.L.D. about improving your time in prison, perhaps extending the time outdoors, providing a special diet or whatever you want."  
"Iron man, suddenly so gallant, what do you want?"  
"You've been getting some work from Zodiac lately, haven't you? I'd like to know some commission details."  
"I kept thinking when you would come, till now. Iron man, you have become dull." Said Doctor Octopus.  
"I've been a little busy lately." Tony replied with a shrug.  
"Well, I'll tell you."  
"What are the collateral requirements?"  
"No strings attached."  
Suspicion filled Tony, but he didn't interrupt, waiting for Doctor Octopus to continue.  
"The path of scientific discovery is always going to cost a lot of money, so when someone comes in with a lot of money, I don't usually turn it down. At first, I thought it would be the old stuff in Zodiac, making weapons, developing drugs, breaking security systems, you know, low-end crime. But they gave me something far beyond my wildest expectations."  
"What?" Tony was curious.  
"They entrusted me with predicting the global anomalies."  
"How to predict? As far as I know, scientists are not prophets of God." Tony said.  
"Look, we're not that different. Because that's what I said." Said Doctor Octopus. "But then they brought up the New York City thing. You know that dimension black circle in New York City a few months ago. Because the power outage also badly damaged my lab. And you Avengers are always the heroes after the event."  
Tony tried not to contradict Doctor Octopus. It was not a good idea to argue with him now.  
"You can take advantage of this opportunity to find Zodiac to pay for it." Said Tony tentatively, joking.  
"That's childish, ignorant! Do you think they can fly in the black circle, that's why they did it?" Doctor Octopus scoffed.  
"Well, what do you suggest?" Tony seduces Doctor Octopus into saying more.  
"When all Earth tech in New York City went out of business, the mainframe of my lab was still running, and I was the only one who recorded the data." Said Doctor Octopus proudly.  
" You have the figures for the night?"  
"More than that, I have monitoring data for quite a long time."  
"Look at it this way, you've been monitoring New York City. It's a really good habit." Said Tony sarcastically.  
"Now you should be glad I have this little hobby. They came to me, asked me to analyze the black circle and trace the source. Of course, they paid a lot of money. But it's not about money. It interests me, as a scientist.”  
"What's the result of your analysis?” Tony, a scientist, is clearly interesting, too, so he pressed on.  
"The source is a wave of energy that precedes the occurrence of the black circle, or the interlacing of space caused by the waves it brings. I then tracked similar energy fluctuations on a global scale, trying to map the points where they appeared, map their coverage, identify the various anomalies, the overlapping areas and time gaps."  
"What do you conclude?" Tony continued.  
"I'm here without a conclusion. Spider-Man broke into my lab, but I'm the one locked up here. It's not fair, is it?"  
Tony wants to contradict Doctor Octopus, but he's holding back. It's never a good idea to provoke him now. Tony needs more information.  
"Listen, Dr. Octopus, if you wish to continue this research, I can..."  
"No, I'm not a pet of S.H.I.E.L.D. I don't want to do my research under the noses of a bunch of stupid guards." Doctor Octopus said haughtily.  
"Is that so? I thought scientific exploration was more fun and meaningful to you than money."  
"But no more than my dignity. That's why I was going to give it to you. That's why I've been waiting for you to come to me. And you heroes are as slow as ever."  
"Give it to me?” Tony looked surprised.  
"Aren’t that what you heroes being for? Save the world or something? The data is in the mainframe of my lab in New York City. You don't need me to write instructions, do you? There's no point in giving you the data if you can't breach the security protocols."  
"I don't think the security protocols are problems, but you need to tell me where the lab is." Tony said.  
"You can ask your good friend Spider-Man, he has visited several times, hasn't he?" Said Dr. Octopus sarcastically.  
"That's true. One last question." Tony said.  
“What?”  
"What are you doing on that island in the Atlantic Ocean if your experiment is based in New York City?"  
"That's what you'll have to find out for yourself. I've given you enough information today."  
"Well, Dr. Octopus, thank you for your help." Tony said and turned to leave.  
"Wait a minute, Iron Man. You'd better hurry," Dr. Octopus called to Tony. "Based on some of my earlier analysis, the time between the source and the anomalies is shrinking. Not necessarily a sign of the end of the world, but who knows, dying in S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't my life plan."  
"I'll try." Said Tony over his shoulder. "Could you tell me the address? Since we are all in a hurry."  
"All right." Dr. Octopus tells Tony where his New York lab is located.  
"Disgusting. You really have peculiar eccentricities Dr. Octopus. That's where Spider-Man would go."  
Tony said, left the dark prison.

The top of a building next to Baxter Building in New York City.  
Tony meets Peter.  
"I've been to see Doctor Octopus, Peter." Tony said.  
"Why didn't you call me?" Peter said.  
"You were a little busy at Daily Bugle."  
"Yes, a matter of subsistence. Upgrading to full Avenger makes me even more in a hurry."  
"I know, so I went alone to talk to Doctor Octopus. One was enough. He'll be more emotional to see you, and it'll be harder to get him to talk." Tony said.  
"It is true as you say." Peter grinned. "What do you find out? What's Doctor Octopus up to on that island?"  
"Dr. Octopus was a bit stuffy in his single room. I had no trouble getting him to talk. He was on that island on a commission from Zodiac to examine certain minerals." Tony said. "The bad news is that a week after we left the island, a volcanic eruption flooded the mine."  
"That means we've got nothing again." Said Peter gloomily.  
" Not for nothing." Tony said. "After S.H.I.E.L.D. took him into custody, they confiscated the equipment at his lab, so they still have the samples. I've got the sample back. See."  
Tony held the clear bag of minerals up to Peter's eyes.  
"That's great! I thought I could use my university lab to do some research. Chemistry is my forte." Said Peter happily.  
"But I would say you shouldn't get your hopes up. The hole is so big, Dr. Octopus may not have sampled all the minerals." Tony said.  
"I’ll try. It's best if I can help you." Peter said.  
"Thanks, Pete. It's good to have you as a friend." Tony gave Peter a hug.  
The hug made Peter's heart beat so hard that he didn't notice the flicker of guilt on Tony's face. And Tony didn't notice the blush that was hiding Peter's mask.

After that, Tony asked Tasha for leave.  
" I have left too much work behind in Univ. If I don't work hard for the rest of the semester, I'm going to get flunked. So, I can't take part in Avenger mission for now." Tony said to Tasha.  
"Avengers can't hire someone without a degree, Maria Foundation won't pay for it, so it's time for you to Univ mask." Tasha patted Tony on the shoulder with mock seriousness. "Your leave has been granted."  
"Thanks for understanding, Tasha." Tony said.  
" Aren't we adding Spider-Man to our list? Let him do it for you." Tasha said with a laugh.

Tony spent most of the next few days in labs, Doctor Octopus's lab and Avenger's lab. Many a night he fell asleep in the laboratory. Again, and again, Jarvis took the cold food from the laboratory door.  
Oh, failed again! Angrily, Tony pushed the chart on the table and threw the eraser at the blackboard, which was filled with a pile of formulas. Why does it fail again and again? What went wrong? Reluctantly, he pulled the swivel chair up to the mainframe and continued typing.  
When Steve walked into the lab, there were scattered drawings, various instruments, and Tony buried behind a pile of equipment.  
"Put it there, Jarvis. Don't bother me now. I'm very busy." Tony said without turning his head when he heard someone come in.  
"He was afraid to disturb you, so I came."  
At the sound, Tony turned around.  
"Steve."  
"Tony, you've been in the lab for five days, and you haven't eaten for almost two days."  
"Has it been so long? I didn't notice at all." Tony rubbed his thumb and forefinger between his eyebrows.  
"You really need to eat something and rest." Steve put the tray on the table.  
"But Einstein..." Tony quibbled.  
"It's a lie. I went to the library after you told me that last time." Steve said.  
"Well, you caught me." Tony tried to smile.  
"Besides, even Einstein had to eat."  
"Okay, now that you were in the kitchen."  
" How do you know I cooked it?"  
"What Jarvis cooked was not so ugly." Tony said with a smile.  
"Well, you caught me. There's only so much I can do."  
"I hope you haven't set Jarvis's kitchen on fire."  
"Sandwiches are a safe choice."  
"I'll try it."  
Tony pulled up his swivel chair to the table, grabbed the sandwiches on the plate, began to eat. When the taste of peanut butter came into his mouth, it tasted sweet to him. He wolfed down the sandwich, sticking out his tongue and licking the crumbs at the corners of his mouth. Steve smiled as he finished his meal.  
"Is it fine?”  
"I don't know. I'm too hungry to taste anything." Tony said.  
"Shall I make you another one?" Steve asked, then turned to leave.  
"No, don't." Tony stood up, grabbed Steve and buried his head in his arms.  
Steve holds Tony in his arms, runs his fingers through Tony's hair, which has grown a little too long to cover his ears. Steve smoothed down his curly hair.  
"I don't know what to do, I can't figure it out, maybe I'm not a genius after all." Said Tony gloomily. "I thought through every detail, I made the formula, I programmed it, I brought the data in and it just didn't work... I just don't know what's wrong." Tony spoke a lot of geek language that Steve didn't understand either, but he listened patiently.  
"Have you been stumped by your Univ assignment?" Steve asked gently.  
"Yes, it is." Tony is telling lies he doesn't believe.  
Steve didn't debunk him, he just patted him on the back.  
"You can talk to Dr. Pym. He may have a different opinion."  
"Ask Hank about a school lesson? I shall be laughed at." Tony said.  
"Aha, that's right, school lesson?" Steve continued to follow Tony.  
"Besides, as you know, he's not an expert in space physics." Tony said.  
"It seems to be a matter of physics. Perhaps you could consider our old friend Dr. Richards. '  
"I thought so. It's a pity he's not on Earth now."  
"Or maybe you should just give your genius brain a rest, and it'll suddenly answer for itself." Steve rubbed Tony's hair.  
"Are you asking me to have sex with you? "Said Tony with a smile of relief.  
"I was going to say you ought to get a good sleep. You thought of it yourself. But hearing about it is also good for nerves." Steve teased Tony.  
"Admit it, I haven't opened your door for five days. You've missed me." Tony said.  
" So, during this period, I finally cleaned up the things you left in my room. It is now much tidier."  
“Well, I'll go back to Tony's room and sleep well, if you want to keep your room clean.” Tony made a show of leaving Steve's arms.  
"Believe me, that bed has been unused for so long, it is cold." Steve wrapped his arms around the man who was running away. "And I miss you."  
"Well, since you admit it, I'll take the one in your room." Tony looked up and kissed him on the chin, took his hand, walked out of the lab.  
This time Tony followed Steve back to the room without meeting anyone. The clock in the corridor pointed to three in the morning. Tony had been in the lab so long that he had lost track of time. It was too late. Jarvis was already in bed. No wonder he had to eat the ugly sandwich. It's actually quite tasty.  
So, this time Tony gave Steve a long kiss as the door closed behind him. But this time it was he who did not get a very enthusiastic response.  
"Tony, you haven't been in the bathroom for a long time, and it stinks." Steve said as he pulled him into the bathroom. "And your beard is growing."  
Tony looked at himself in the mirror as if he looked sloppy. He touched a layer of stubble that had grown above his lips.  
"Something like his beard?" Tony asked thoughtfully.  
"Sort of." Steve said.  
"Maybe I should keep it."  
"Whatever you like."  
Said Tony, second thoughts.  
"I might as well shave it off. I don't want to look like an Uncle."  
"Well, shave it off."  
"You shave it off for me."  
"Okay, I'll do it for you." Steve pulls out the razor and shaving fluid behind the mirror to stop Tony from fidgeting. "Don't move, it will scratch."  
Ten minutes later, Steve dries Tony's face with a towel.  
"All right." Steve said.  
Tony looked in the mirror and decided that he still looked better without beard.  
"The reason you pushed me into the bathroom was to come in, just like that day." Tony rested his head on Steve's shoulder as the warm water from the shower dripped over him. "Now I can wait for your next service."  
"Low and bottom? ” Steve said as he unbuttoned Tony's clothes.  
"Em." When the warm water and cozy kisses fell on Tony, he was too lazy to speak. He had not slept for days, and the feeling of sleepiness came with comfort and relaxation. He let out a big breath, let Steve do the rest, then fell asleep just as he had done that day.  
Steve shook his head, just as he had done that day, hopelessly wiped off the sleeping Tony, put him to bed. He knew this was going to happen.  
To be continued……


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31  
Avengers Mansion, now.  
"Good morning, Steve." Tony said sleepily as he rolled over in his customary way.  
There was no echo, the place beside him was empty. No need to read the message. It must be Avengers Daily. Tony rolled over on his left side again, landed on Steve's accustomed side. With the familiar smell, continue to close his eyes.  
It was noon when Tony woke up again. He stretched himself and sat up. A little reluctant to face the minutia of everyday life. Tony clicked on his watch, opened his voicemail. Sure enough, there were hundreds of messages. Tony recently added an automatic filter system that automatically ranks messages by contact, saving him a lot of time. At this point he only selects messages from people with an A or higher level. The message begins in chronological order:  
Mr. Leonard, Level A Contact: We are very interested in Starktron project we discussed last time. If you can provide us with further proposals, we will consider funding.  
Mr. Sanchez, Level A Contact: Mr. Stark, we are very interested in your Starktron project. You can set up A time to talk more about it.  
Ms. Canaan, Level A Contact: Our Board of Directors sees Starktron as a promising way of wireless communication that could lead to the future of humanity. You have my card, don't you? By the way, are you related to the famous late Tony Stark? You two look a little alike. You both have sweet smiles.  
Tony jumped through 20 messages from various investors, thinking that in the future he should build an A.I. to automatically handle all the boring business matters.  
Garth, Professor Elden’s assistant, Level A Contact: Mr. Stark, we need to talk about your attendance and your paper. If you don't want to take science again next semester, you have to hand your paper at the end of this week.  
What is the topic of that paper? Tony had completely forgotten about it. He added to the memo: Paper due by the end of the week, priority 5.  
Kris DeGann, Level A Contact: Tony, you haven't been to Univ in a long time. Your friends all worried about you. I'm worried about you. I haven't thanked you for last time. Maybe we can go out together when you are free. As a thank you, let me buy you a drink or a dinner.  
Kris, I really haven't thought about her in a while. Tony adds in the memo: "Date Kris, priority 3."  
Spider-Man, Level S Contact: Tony, I did a preliminary analysis of the minerals you gave me. It contains quartz, feldspar, plagioclase, pyrite... and traces of an unidentified crystalline substance, suspected to be non-earth material, that required further analysis against the Avengers' database.  
That's interesting. Maybe Peter found an opening. Tony adds in the memo: Contact Spider-Man, priority 4.  
The last message, dated this morning, is listed as an S+ contact.  
I have an S+ contact? I even didn't know that. It seems that I still need to tweak this new system. Tony plays the message.  
Steve, Level S+ Contact: A level 5+ tornado broke out in Colorado. A large number of super criminals took the opportunity to escape. All the Avengers who can be contacted are on the way. I didn't wake you up. You’d better eat something before you rush out.  
It's late November. There's an extraordinary tornado in Colorado, which is not in the hurricane belt. Seriously? Tony immediately put on his armor, rushed out.  
On the flight to Colorado, Tony thought: Lots of dangerous criminals escaped, but he didn't wake me up. And it was my fault. I should have read his note the first time I woke up. I didn't get back my watch he had confiscated, so the system assume he is the highest-level contact. But when did the Old Man can use this high-tech gadget? That's what it says, 'Steve' play ‘dumb’.

Dove Creek, Dolores County, Colorado.  
Although the tornado has passed, but the wind is still around the nine. There are no pedestrians in this sparsely populated town. Many houses collapsed. A row of telegraph poles and trees fell.  
When Tony arrives, Steve is in the middle of a fight with Electro. His shield is struck by Electro's light, and the electric current from Vibranium is directed through Steve's body, causing him to tremble.  
Tony thought for a moment, immediately fired a sonar shock wave at Steve's shield. The sound waves amplified by Vibranium, dissociated the current. The dissociated electric particles bounced off the shield and beat Electro, knocking him back a few steps.  
But Electro calmed down immediately. He looked up, saw iron man.  
"Iron man, are you coming here to die? Your shell is the best conductor. I’ll make you into an electric skewer. Ha-ha." Electro roared with laughter.  
"You really need to upgrade your superhero library. Do you think my name is Ironman that means my armor is made by iron?" As he said, Iron Man fell slowly to the roar of his jet boots. When he landed, he rushed to the unconscious Steve, held his head.  
"Steve." Tony shouted.  
"It doesn't matter if it's iron or not iron. There's nothing alive in front of my high voltage." With these words, Electro sent out a high voltage to them again.  
Tony lifted the gauntlets, raised a shield. The shield counteracts most of the current, but it also gets punched through.  
External defense breached. 72% of power left. System data is displayed in front of Tony's eyes.  
At this point, Steve, who had been corona earlier, woke up. He opened his eyes to see Iron Man and smiled.  
"Tony, you came here." Steve's voice came over the built-in communication system.  
"Yep, here I am, just in time to save your life. It's a rookie mistake to handle such a dangerous super criminal alone without help, Cap."  
"Too many super criminals fleeing, but Avengers are understaffed. " Steve said.  
"Huh, understaffed? You won't wake me up. "  
"You're too tired."  
"Just say, you are too stupid. Recently, Tony Stark has been playing for too long. I was thinking of taking an opportunity to let Iron Man come out for act."  
At this moment, an electric light struck over.  
"Look out! "Steve shouted. Pick up Tony and roll away.  
While they were talking, Electro had connected to nearby power lines, recharging himself once again. Electric lights hit them one by one. They dodged confusedly. All repulsors Tony fired back were absorbed by Electro. Tony had to stop.  
"Any ideas? "Steve asked.  
"He's not like Whiplash. Whiplash is a human. His whips are powered by his base. But Electro himself is electricity, he has already merged with it." Tony analyzed.  
Another flash of lightning struck. Tony hit back with sound waves. Electro was knocked back a few steps, but quickly came back.  
"My sonic attacks only temporarily dissociate him and contain him, but soon the electrostatic particles still accumulate, which is not the ultimate solution." Tony said.  
A flash of lightning hit Steve. Tony raised the shield to protect him.  
External defense breached. 58% of power left. System data is displayed in front of Tony's eyes.  
Armor deplete energy quickly, while Electro's energy is endless. He can absorb the electrostatic particles around him and convert any energy into electricity for his own use. He is like a transformer.  
Yes, that's it. He's like a transformer. It absorbs, it transforms, and then it releases. And every machine has an Achilles' heel. Tony had an idea, but it was a risky one.  
"Steve, I have an idea now, but it's a risky idea. The success rate is about 50 percent or less." Tony said.  
"I see. You take risks every day. I'm used to them, almost. Tell me what it is. I'll follow you." Steve replied.  
Tony told Steve about the plan.  
After dodging another attack from Electro, Tony told the system, "Concentrate all the energy on Uni-Beam. Fire!"  
The light cannon was shot at Electro. As expected, it was absorbed by him.  
"Now, Steve!” Tony shouted.  
Steve was standing next to the fire hydrant. He split it open with his shield. A large amount of water gushed out. Then he used his shield to adjust the direction of the spray, directly into Electro. Electro short-circuited by the water, emitting a sizzling sound, falling to the ground.  
Tony strode past the fallen Electro toward Steve. He walked over to Steve, took off his helmet. The spray instantly wet his hair.  
"Tony, you'll catch a cold."  
"No, my armor equipped with an automatic drying system." Tony said as he gently pulled down Steve's mask. Steve's blond hair was instantly drenched. "And you, you won't catch cold."  
"Uh, I won't catch cold." Steve said with a smile.  
"I've been thinking about it since last night." Tony put his arms around Steve, gave him a long deep kiss.  
The Electro behind Tony staggered to his feet. Steve without looking, flew out of his shield, knocked him unconscious again. Then they continue to kiss each other.  
A minute later, Tony put on his helmet, called up the database.  
"I want to kiss you all the time, but let's get back to work. Let me see how many super criminals we still need to catch." Tony shrugged when he saw the figures. "Wow, Surprises! It looks like we'll all be busy till tomorrow dawn."  
"That's why I told you eat something before you rush out. We can't catch them all at once." Steve said.  
"Well..." Tony's stomach growled unseasonably.  
"As I expected." Steve said.  
"Don't worry, my armor equipped with a life support system." Tony said. "Now let’s go."  
Steve didn't move, glancing sideways at the hydrant.  
"Fix the fire hydrant first. Got it!" Tony sent out a repulsor, welded the hydrant, stopped the water flowing.  
To be continued……


	32. Chapter 32

Gunnison County, Gunnison, Colorado.  
Scarlet Witch pressed her fingertips against her temples，focused her Chaos Magic, took control of Serpent Society. While Spider-Man next to her threw out silk to bind them. They cooperated well. Soon all the Serpenters were caught.  
"It's so easy to team up with you." Said Spider-Man admiringly.  
"As a newcomer, you're not too bad." Wanda said.  
“Actually, I just wanted to ask, everyone is a team of two, why only Cap is a team of one, but Black Widow agreed. "  
"Ha-ha, silly boy." Wanda smiled. "Anyway, the total number is odd. He asked for team of one to wait for support, so that he can be rescued. They both enjoyed doing it over the years. ‘You save me once; I save you again’."  
"Ah?" Spider-Man opens his eyes wide.  
As Wanda spoke, Iron Man's voice was heard on the team's public channel.  
"I've backed up Cap. Electro is in custody. Iron Man offline."  
"Aha, you see? What did I tell you?" Wanda said with a smile. "Tasha has always known how to make a team work best. So, you're on my team today."  
A little jealousy welled up in Peter.  
"Who is the next? "Asked Spider-Man.  
"Tiger Shark," replied Wanda.  
"Ah, nasty fishman again." Said Spider-Man.

Meeker, Rio Blanco County, Colorado.  
Hawkeye’s flashing arrows blinded the eyes of Flying Tiger. He hit the suddenly solidified vision, fainted. Hawkeye jumped down from a tree, tied him up with ropes. Vision beside him said nothing.  
Always talkative Hawkeye has no object to talk to, super boring. He took out the escape list, crossed out the name of Flying Tiger, looked at the next target, set out. But along the way, Vision silently floating beside him.  
I'd better apply to be on the team with Spider-Man next time. Hawkeye thought.

The Vault, Colorado. Before dawn the next day.  
"This guy should be the last one." Tony took Man-Bull to the prison guard. "He hid out in a cattle farm. Let us have a hard time."  
As the guard escorted Man-Bull to his cell, Tony turned to Steve next to him and said, "We should do a tally, count which group captured the most prisoners. I think the two of us will win."  
"Happy now?”  
"Uh, I don't think I can be bored in the laboratory for too long."  
A shout came from a cell window when they were about to turn to leave.  
"Iron man, wait!"  
Doctor Octopus, as expected. Tony walked over and Steve followed.  
" Doctor Octopus, you've been a model prisoner this time, didn't escape " Tony said.  
"What's the use of running away? None of us can hide from what is coming." Said Doctor Octopus. "This late November tornado was not a simple event. It should be part of a global phenomenon."  
"It's a possibility." Tony replied vaguely.  
" What about the thing I handed over to you?"  
"That, it's going on." Tony continued his vague answer.  
"What's going on exactly? You should know it's life or death for all of us."  
"Well, little progress." Said Tony awkwardly.  
"You're so stupid! I knew that! I can’t count on useless heroes like you." Doctor Octopus beats the wall angrily.  
"If not, do you expect us to count on criminals like you?” Tony retorted.  
"Maybe you should count on us. Cause you're all a bunch of headstrong idiots." Doctor Octopus scolded.  
"This is called 'principle'. We ‘headstrong idiots’ saved people like you, like countless times. This time as well." Tony wants to be righteous in front of Captain America. "So, settle down in your prison. We'll do the rest."  
Tony ignored Doctor Octopus's cries, turned away. Steve had been in the audience just now, did not intervene in the conversation between Tony and Dr. Octopus. Right now, he turns to leave after Tony.  
"Tony, is it time for you to have a deep talk with me about your ‘lesson’ ".  
Walking down the gloomy corridor of the prison, Steve asked with a serious face.  
"It's complicated." Tony said.  
"I'm not in a hurry."  
"Where to start?"  
"Start at the beginning."  
"Well, the beginning is in Grand Canyon Libra’s thing. Hawkeye has already told you about that, right?" Tony said.  
"I want to hear you tell me."  
"Let's go back. I'm tired." Tony quickened his pace. Tony's usual excuse. He knew he can't hide them this time, but he can buy time, sift through what he tells Steve.  
"Do you mean we go back to my room?" Steve's serious face lit up with a smile.  
"Back to Avengers Mansion." Tony answered.  
"Back and call an Avengers meeting?" Steve said.  
"Think twice, back to your room. I think we're all tired today." Tony said.  
"I agree." Steve nodded.

Avengers Mansion, 2 hours later.  
"And that is probably all. I transferred Doctor Octopus's commission from Zodiac." Tony lay flat next to Steve, spoke to the ceiling. "I just stay in the lab all the time. You know the rest."  
" You should tell me when things like this happened." Steve lay on his side looking at Tony, one elbow on his head, and with the other hand he played with the hair on Tony's forehead, which was growing fast over his eyes.  
"It doesn't really make a difference whether I tell you or not, especially now, I don't have an answer myself. Besides, didn’t you say I make plans?" Tony said.  
“I trust you, I can follow your plan, but you shouldn't keep it from me. You shouldn't try to take all the responsibility, try to solve all the problems on your own. Meanwhile all I can do was just stand at the door of the lab and watch. " Steve said.  
" Even if I told you, you can do is only watch at the door of the lab." Said Tony dispiritedly.  
"Tony..."  
"Oh, I know, it's my fault. I shouldn't have kept it from you and other Avengers. If it was him, this little problem would probably have been solved long ago. But I am not him." Tony hated the feeling of powerlessness. He hated the feeling of being under siege. He hated the feeling that almost everything had gone beyond his expectations. And these unexpected things also include himself.  
"You don't have to be him." Steve kissed Tony on the forehead.  
"I know."  
"Maybe you should try to find out from outside the lab."  
"I'm thinking about it..."  
"Maybe you should get help."  
"Spider-Man is helping me."  
"Well, on the bright side, at least the earth won't be destroyed tomorrow."  
"But I'm going to destroy science lesson if I don't turn in my paper tomorrow! No, today is tomorrow! I mean, today is Friday. I'm going to have it done before class." As if at last he had remembered this important thing, Tony rolled over to his feet, dashed to the laboratory.  
Steve looked at the open door, shook his head. He got out of bed, closed the door. He was tired. He told himself he should get a little sleep before the Avengers' morning meeting, but lay flat on his back with his arms behind his head, he couldn't sleep for a long time. So, he simply dressed, went to the conference room, only to find it empty. It seemed that after yesterday's big fight, no one was going to show up on time today. Then he headed to the simulation training room to find some robots to beat up.  
To be continued……


	33. Chapter 33

Columbia University, now.  
The earth is not exterminated today, so Tony has to hand in his paper. After spending too much time in the lab, he almost got lost at Columbia University again, but Kris showed up just in time to save him. She went over to Tony, held him in her hand.  
"You're going in the wrong direction again. Science Class is over here."  
"Thank you, Kris. You saved my life." Tony said.  
"After you saved me, it was a small deal. I could escape the assassination all because you told me in time that day. "  
"Thanks to Iron Man. He found it."  
"What happened after that?"  
"Iron Man didn't catch him. He ran away. But rest assured, you are no longer a threat to him. Iron Man has revealed his plot. He fled to the one behind to report."  
"I can't believe Cooper was Spymaster fake." Kris said.  
"Cooper is a man of few words, has few friends. So, it is difficult to rub Spymaster’s cover." Tony comforted Kris.  
"I got back to school that day, immediately called the police. They found the real Cooper in the basement of the school's chemical warehouse. He had been in the Spymaster's captivity for a long time. He was frightened, a little dehydrated and malnourished, but his life was not in danger. Spymaster didn’t take his life, mainly in order to extract information from him to make his disguise more secure."  
" You are very brave, Kris. Most people would have been scared out of their minds in a situation like this, but you wanted to save Cooper in the first place." Tony said admiringly.  
"That's nothing compared to what you've done for me. You saved my life twice. So anyway, let me find a way to thank you. But, you're always so busy..." Kris said, hanging her head.  
By this time, they had reached the door of the science lecture hall.  
Tony couldn't bear to see any pretty girl sad, especially this one he had his heart set on, so he took Kris by the hand and said, "No matter how busy I am, I'll make time for you. I was actually going to invite you to David Wojnarowicz’s art exhibition, but then you went to the hospital, and then I had some family emergencies, so if you're free this weekend..."  
"I'm free!” Kris was pleasantly surprised. "How do you know I like him?"  
" I just took a wild guess." Tony smiled mysteriously. "Well, it's settled. I'll meet you at the door of your dorm tomorrow."  
Tony is not much of an art lover; art to him is just a stream of consciousness. Tony is more pragmatic. He believes in measurement. He believes in what the evidence said rather than what was imagined. But Kris loves art, and it's easy for Tony to figure out what she likes from her profile. Tony always knows how to make a girl happy.  
When Tony finally turned in his paper on time, he was relieved. After getting Kris back to her dorm, instead of returning to Avengers Mansion, he flew to Dr. Octopus's lab. He incorporated the data of the Colorado tornado that just happened, stayed in the laboratory ever since.  
At dawn, Tony returned to his dormitory, took a bath, then went to see Peter. They met on the campus of Empire State University. Peter was sitting on a bench under a tree. It was late autumn. The leaves were scattered at his feet. This is the first time Tony has met Peter without his Spider-Man uniform. He was wearing a light gray hoodie, bleached dark blue jeans, and old sneakers that were gray in white. Taking off his uniform, Peter is an unassuming boy, even a bit of a traditionalist, who could easily get lost in the crowd of individualized, trendy college youngsters. His cheeks were red in the cold air. He had been waiting for Tony for a long time.  
"I got your message, Pete." Tony sat next to Peter.  
“You haven't had your breakfast yet? Tony." Peter said.  
"Yes."  
"Did you eat dinner last night?"  
"Seems not." Tony scratched his head. Actually, he had forgotten the last time he had eaten.  
"I knew it. Here you are. " Peter gives Tony a hamburger and a cup of coffee. They are still hot. Peter saw Tony coming, ran to buy them immediately. But Tony didn't notice that. He never knew he is hungry until he had something in his mouth.  
"Thank you." Said Tony with his mouth full. When he finished the burger, Peter handed him a second one. This time he didn't even thank him. He just ate the second one. After eating two hamburgers, Tony finally found his stomach.  
"Hope this can helps you." Peter puts a data disk in Tony's hand. "I've checked the Avengers database, and there's no record of anything like that. How about you?"  
"Nothing new." Said Tony vaguely. "All I can say is that whether the prediction of Libra is true or not, it is certain that the earth will not be destroyed for a while. If it makes you feel any better."  
"Maybe it will make you feel better." Peter said. “Don't be so hard on yourself, Tony.”  
Tony shrugged and replied, "I've accepted the fact that I'm not him. It's no use being hard on myself. I can't solve problems his way, so I'll have to use mine. But no matter what, the sun will rise tomorrow and life will go on. Tony Stark's life goes on, Iron Man's life goes on. At least I'm trying to keep them both going."  
"And no matter what, I'll be there for you. Spider-Man will be there for Iron Man; Peter will be there for Tony." Peter said affectionately.  
"Thanks, Pete. But I must be going now."  
"I understand. Iron Man's urgent mission." Peter said.  
"It's actually Tony Stark's mission. I have a date with a girl today. I don't want to be late for my first date."  
"You asked a girl out." Peter repeated the words mechanically.  
“Yes. Her name is Kris. She's an exchange student from London. She's very pretty. I remember telling you about her.” Tony said.  
"Yes, you told me about her." Peter went on repeating mechanically. The girl who was almost assassinated by Spymaster, Peter has some impression.  
"I'll introduce you formally next time. What's even better is that she has a beautiful red-headed roommate, Melony, who is recently single. I asked her to introduce you so we can go on a double date. Forget Mary Jane. It's been a long time. It's time you moved on."  
Tony patted Peter on the shoulder and hurried away. Peter looked thoughtfully at Tony as he left: Peter and Tony, Spider-Man and Iron Man, at least I can be part of both of his two lives.

Tony got in his flashy red sports car, bought a bunch of flowers, prepared to pick Kris up for the art exhibition. When he parked the car downstairs in Kris's dormitory, took off his sunglasses, it caused sighs and onlookers. Lots of girls walked up to his car, gave him their phone numbers.  
"Thanks, but I have a date today." Tony grinned.  
Ten minutes later Kris shows off. She is wearing boots and a red plaid sundress with a brown jacket today. The light makeup, but highlights her elaborate dress.  
When Tony saw her appearance, he gave a whistle and jumped down the car. He gave the flowers to Kris, kissed her gently on her cheek.  
"You look so beautiful today, Kris."  
"Thanks, you look great, too." Kris said.  
Gentleman Tony pulled open the door and Kris got in. Then they walked away in envy.

Tony doesn't know much about art, for him this exhibition is just a gray-and-white image of naked men, drugs, and sex, an exaggeration of reality. At least it's not the same kind of art as Steve's wall of paintings. But he immediately shook the picture and the name out of his mind, listened intently to Kris. Tony knows when to listen, when to interrupt. The art room was quiet. They were whispering to each other. The smell of orange blossom perfume from Kris's body touched Tony's heart.

Tony had arranged their dinner with great care. He had already reserved a table at a fancy restaurant. Kris looked even more beautiful in the orange light. After a few glasses of champagne, Kris talked with a hint of wine. She chatted about her life in London, anecdotes about her modeling career, her family and friends.  
"Actually, I have a confession to make." Kris said: “I'm an exchange student from Imperial College London, but I'm really a village girl. I grew up on a small farm in Yorkshire Dales, one of four brothers and sisters. One big brother, one little brother, and the youngest sister is only seven years old. If I hadn't been lucky enough to get a job as a model, my family's financial situation would have been difficult to support my tuition."  
"Oh, I don’t even know you have an accent." Tony chimed in.  
"More or less I probably didn't want people to know that I was a village girl, so I wore smart clothes, tried to correct my accent, tried to fit in. You know, this is the first time I've told anyone since I've been in New York."  
"Then I'd be honored to be the first to know about it." Tony said.  
"You know now. Do you think I'm a Philistine?" Kris hung her head a little worried, stirred the food on her plate with a fork.  
"No, of course not. I think you're very sincere, very true, very brave." Tony took Kris's other hand, which was on the table. Tony already knew everything Kris had told him. But he knows when to show surprise.  
"Actually, I have a confession to make too." Tony said.  
"What is it?” Kris said.  
" Since you have confessed your family, then I will confess mine." Tony said. " I'm actually related to the late, famous Tony Stark."  
"I knew it." Kris said.  
"He was so famous. I didn't want to bring too much unnecessary attention in Univ. So, I denied it at first. I'm a distant relative of his, sort of a cousin of his. There was an accident in my family this year, my parents, they..." Tony paused. The image of his parents being killed by Kang's men came back to him. A surge of anger rose in his heart, but he calmed it down. "They all died in a car accident."  
“I'm sorry, Tony.” Kris said with emotion.  
"No need. It's all water under the bridge. I came from Los Angeles to New York to join my cousin, but he died, too."  
“Oh, Tony.”  
"Don't you always wonder why every time you have an accident Iron Man shows up at the right time? I didn't show up at school for a while because I was staying at Avengers Mansion. Even it was my cousin's house, but was half my childhood home. The butler, Jarvis, is like a father to me. And what I was telling you about family emergencies were actually some of the Avengers’ tasks."  
"My God! Tony, you're working for Avengers, for the greatest heroes in the world. That's amazing!" Kris's eyes lit up with adoration.  
"Ha-ha, It's not that so awesome. Just providing some consulting, data maintenance and other technical works. This is the reason why you contacted me, but I didn't reply in time. Most of the Avengers missions are secret, so I can't talk too much about them. And now that you know, you'll keep it a secret, won't you, Kris?" Tony said, squeezing Kris's hand.  
“Of course, Tony. I swear, I won't tell anyone.” Kris said.  
"So, I hope you will forgive me when I suddenly leave or lose touch with you because of these duties." Tony said.  
"I can understand, don't worry, Tony."  
"Thanks, Kris." Tony kissed Kris gently on her lips. Kris blushed.  
Driving sports cars, chasing girls, the only occasional troubles are homework and girls' minds, and there is no need be on call to save the earth. This is an Univ life that Tony has not experienced for a long time, so he feels very relaxed tonight. Kris talked about modern art and contemporary philosophy; Tony talked about space and Silicon Valley technology. Completely different fields, but they easily merged the common ground. They also discovered shared interests in electronic music and car racing, which led Tony to learn that Kris had been a lead singer in an underground band in London and had taken part in local underground car racing. This is information that Tony does not have.  
"I also won a lot of money at the time. They didn't expect to lose to a car model. But it only works once, and as my reputation in underground racing grows, no one is going to bet on my opponent anymore." Kris said with a laugh. "At the end of the day I'm going to get paid to model."  
Time passed imperceptibly by them. By the time Tony noticed it was nearly midnight, they were the last two people in the restaurant. Tony pulled out her chair, put a coat around her.  
"Let me escort you back to your dorm." Tony said.  
There was a slight disappointment on Kris's face. Tony caught it keenly.  
Tony walked Kris down to the dormitory, kissed her. At first it was just a shallow kiss goodbye, then the kiss became enthusiastic, igniting the enthusiasm of the orange fragrance, provoking Tony's desire.  
There was lust in Kris's eyes as they parted.  
"My grandmother used to tell me that a lady needs a third date before a boy can kiss her on the lips. But I'm just a village girl, not a blue-blood." Kris whispered in Tony's ear. "So... Stay with me, trust me, my roommate is not here today."  
Tony had no reason to refuse the warm invitation of such a beautiful girl, and he did not want to, so he followed Kris upstairs to her room.  
To be continued……


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34  
Columbia University, 3:00 a.m.  
Kris was fast asleep in her bed, the little bed of the dormitory where the passion had been. Tony actually booked a room at the hotel at first, but he suddenly changed his mind, canceled the room just before he met Kris. After the kiss downstairs, Tony regretted the decision a little, but now it seemed that the small space, the thin walls, the roommate who might open the door and walk in at any moment, and the feeling of cheating made them want more. These made Tony really enjoy the sex. Lately he had almost forgotten the sense of conquest, the sense of control, the sense of security. These feelings gave Tony a lot of confidence, and even made him regain a little conceit. But these feelings won't bring him more sleep.  
Even though it was three o 'clock in the morning, Tony was still wide awake. He got up, got out of bed, put on a coat, and slipped through the living room to the communal bathroom. Kris was still asleep when he came back from his bath. Tony turned on his wristwatch, put on his headphones, listened to his voicemail message. He's not in a hurry now. He's even a little bored, so he listens to every unanswered message. Investors message, Jarvis’s message, Jane's message, Wanda's message, Brennan's message, tennis coach, climbing center, high-tech exhibition, flower shop, the hotel, travel center, car salesman, estate salesman, encyclopedia salesman... After listening once, Tony listened a second time to make sure he hadn't missed a single message. Tony felt a little lonely in his heart. He manually adjusted the system, adding Kris to the S-level contact list. He turned on the strong light on his wristwatch, lit up Kris's desk, rummaged through the guest book, and then wrote a note with a pen.  
I had a great time today and look forward to our next date. But the lab work is still waiting for me, so I'm going. I'll give you a call.   
-Tony.  
After finishing his message, Tony got dressed, put on his backpack, went downstairs, got into his sports car and headed for Dr. Octopus's lab.

Avengers Mansion, 2:30 a.m.  
Steve had that dream again. He was running in it. It's a similar scene, but it seems a little different. This time his uniform was not torn, his shield was in his hand, and his heart was not frightened, but full of anger. There is a red figure in front of him, the red figure is not walking fast, as if to lead him forward. He's almost catching up with him by a hair's breadth. Steve began to see him clearly. It was a knight in red and gold armor.  
"Tony?!"  
The knight turned, slowly took off his helmet. Steve was about to see his face under the helmet, but then Steve's dream woke up.  
Steve sat up, the anger in the dream accompanied him to reality. He tried to calm his emotions.  
The side on which Tony often slept was cold. With a rush of longing, Steve threw on a coat, got out of bed and headed toward the Avengers lab. He went through the iris security scan at the entrance to the lab, entered the password "0529" ten times, and finally opened the door.  
"Tony, how long have you been..." Steve's words hung in the air because the lab is empty.  
He never made a deal with him to come back every night, did he?  
Steve shook his head in self-mockery, turned to leave the lab. He went back to his room, lay on his bed, still unable to sleep. Then he sat up, opened the drawer, took out the watch that was paired with Tony’s. He stared at it for long time. Then he got up, dressed and headed for the simulation training room. He needed to find some more robots to beat up.

A fast-food restaurant near Empire State University.  
Melony is a beautiful but not enchanting red-haired brown-eyed girl with a few small freckles on her nose. She wore a denim hood, very talkative, had the fervor of a Western girl and a sweet smile.  
"She spent two hours in the bathroom that day, and our entire apartment was smashing down the door. Before going downstairs, she said to me, 'Please, Melony, don't go back to the dorm until noon the next day.' As a result, I could only stay overnight at Arisa next door. Away from my beloved bed, I didn't sleep well all the night. So, this meal is definitely on you, Kris."  
"Melony..." Kris blushed. Tony, sitting next to her, gave her a kiss on the cheek.  
"In that way, I'm a lucky man." Tony said.  
"You absolutely are. You have no idea how many free chocolates I've had as Krissy's roommate and how many crazy boys I've seen downstairs singing to her with a guitar."  
"My friend Peter is also very good at music. He saved a completely hopeless party last time as a DJ." Tony took the opportunity to promote Peter.  
" I actually didn't do anything about that party, mainly because of Tony." Said Peter, who was sitting next to Melony.  
“That sounds interesting. What did you do, Tony?” Kris interjected with interest.  
Tony felt he had jumped into a trap, so he tried to answer vaguely.  
"It was a boring old people's party at home. I pulled Pete over. The music he played lit the audience."  
"Actually, Tony walked in, lit the mansion on fire." said Peter defiantly. " His family love him, don't they?”  
"At home? You mean the home you are in now?” Kris said, her eyes wide with surprise.  
"Yes, that home." Tony answered.  
"I wonder if I can go there? I mean if Peter's been there." Kris said.  
"If there is a chance, I will certainly invite you." Tony said.  
"He should invite you." Peter said.  
"I'm also a techno fan. Recently I'm crazy about DJ Spooky. His new album, Songs of a Dead Dreamer, is amazing. Which of you would like to go to his show this weekend?" Melony's intervention saved Tony.  
"I think I can manage it." Tony jumped into the safety conversation.  
"That's fine with me." Kris said.  
"I'm afraid I don't have time." Peter said, "I'm working at Daily Bugle this weekend. By the way, I remember that my appointment with my tutor is almost up. Sorry, guys, I have to go."  
Peter stood up and walked out of the restaurant. Tony wanted to run after him, but he looked around at the two girls. Melony, in particular, had a disappointed look on her face. He sat down again.  
"My friend Pete is shy. Where do you two want to go next?" Tony said. "I have a full tank of gas and free tonight."  
When Tony said this, the girls brightened up. Tony then took the two girls to the movies, dropped them off at their dorm. He returned to Empire State to find Peter. Peter was still in the lab.  
"What was that before? I think we talked about it. Iron Man's life is Iron Man's life, and Tony Stark's life is Tony Stark's life. And I don't have a label attached to my head." Tony said angrily to Peter. "Peter, you're my best friend. I thought you should know me."  
"I'm sorry, Tony." Peter looked down. "It's just... You know... You tried to set me up with Melony, but I... I..."  
" You have no spark for Melony?" Tony recovered himself.  
"Well, I know she's a pretty, lovely girl, but I..." Peter said.  
" I can introduce other girls to you." Tony said.  
"I don't want to... Don't want to... I don't want to date other girls for now."  
"Are you still in love with MJ?" Tony suddenly understood.  
"Actually, I... I..." There was a long pause. “Yes, I'm still in love with her.'  
"That's true. Not every redhead can be like MJ. She's special to you. I see." Tony went over, put his arm around Peter's shoulder.  
"You are such a spoony bigotry." Tony laughed. “I'm glad I'm not you.'  
Peter blushed and lowered his head.  
To be continued……


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35  
Because of Peter's words, the following Christmas and New Year were a bit of trouble for Tony. Tony hesitates to invite Kris to the Avenger Mansion for the holiday or accompany her back to England. After much hesitation Tony chosen the latter. Though the choice took him away from the lab for a few days.  
Tony invited Peter to go with him. Aunt May is That Peter’s family. This Peter had no family. He is alone. Tony didn't want to leave him alone during the holiday. Peter was delighted to accept the invitation. Then they set off on the long road to Kris's home. Yes, it is a "long road". Tony can't wear armor or fly Quinjet , because these two modes of travel will reveal his secret identity. So, he was stuck with the public transportation system like everyone else does. Of course, Tony went to a little high-tech and managed to get them first class tickets during the holiday season when tickets were tight. But it only made their flight a little more comfortable. It was still a long journey, disembarking from Sheffield to the Tube, then to the train, then to the bus… After missing the only bus to the village of Gawthrop, they resorted to the horse-drawn carriage. The long journey made Tony almost nervous breakdown. This is a waste of life! Why at the end of the 20th century, the means of transportation for ordinary people are still so backward? Tony vowed to himself that he would buy a private jet as soon as he got his next investment.  
"Country trips bore you, right?" Kris was keenly aware of Tony's mood.  
"I’m fine. I can take this time to do some design." Tony said.  
The train rocked slowly. Peter, who was sitting opposite Tony, fell asleep. Then Kris fell asleep on Tony's shoulder. Tony took out his book, continued drawing the draft for Spider Armor. He started shortly after the journey started. The journey was too long. He was too bored. Looking at Peter, he got some inspiration and started on his long-delayed design.  
It was well past midnight when the carriage arrived at the farm. Kris stretched and breathed. "At last."  
Greeting them with an umbrella and a night light was Kris's brother. He pulled open the door of the carriage. " See which wandering girl finally came home."  
Kris's brother has a thick Yorkshire accent. Kris jumped out of the carriage, gave him a big hug.  
"Seth, I knew you'd hold the door open for me." Back home, Kris began to speak in local accent.  
"I wouldn't dare not wait. You know, mother is old and goes to bed early, but she tells me repeatedly to get to you. The kids knew you were coming back and tried to stay up, but eventually they fell asleep."  
Tony and Peter jumped out of the carriage after Kris.  
"This is Anthony Stark, this is Peter Parker, they're my friends from university." Kris said. "This is my brother Sebastian."  
"Just call me Tony." Tony held out his hand enthusiastically to shake, but found that both Sebastian's hands were full. Tony had to pull his hand back.  
"Peter, just Peter." Said Peter scratching his head.  
Kris handed Tony another umbrella Seth was holding. Tony opened it over him and Peter.  
"What the hell the weather is." Seth led the way with a lantern, Kris walking beside him, Tony and Peter behind them. They plodded along the muddy farm road.  
"Yeah, it is a little unusual. It is still raining at this time of year." Kris said.  
"Isn't it supposed to rain all year round in England?” Peter interjected.  
"Nonsense, you ignorant foreigners. This is Yorkshire, it's supposed to snow at this time.”  
"This isn't Yorkshire anymore, it's Cumbria, don't you remember, Seth?” Kris said.  
"These government officials who do nothing all day are just messing with our minds." Seth grumbled.  
The farm is small, only two floors, but it is neat and tidy.  
"Take off your shoes before you come in, don’t make the floor dirty. Mother will be angry." Seth urged.  
When they finally sat down in front of the fire, Seth handed them hot soups. "There isn't much food left in the kitchen. I think you're all hungry."  
"Thank you." Tony took the bowl, stirred the spoon and blew gently on the heat.  
Peter, who was frozen, was eating the soup with his hands in the bowl, and the word "thank you" murmured.  
The fire lit up Seth's face. He is a small man with red half hair and red sideburns. He's about 30 years old. According to Tony, the DeGann family is one-eighth Irish, and Seth obviously has more of that in him.  
"So, which one of you is my sister's boyfriend?" Seth spoke as he sat in his rocking chair by the fire.  
"Seth..." Kris blushed, but she glanced at Tony.  
Seth looked Tony up and down, stared. "Boy, if you dare to fail my sister, I'll give you a taste of my fists."  
"Kris is a nice girl. I will take good care of her." Tony gently took Kris's hand and grinned.  
"Don't worry. He's very kind to me." Kris said, "He saved my life several times in New York."  
Kris spilled the beans when she said that.  
"What?! You were in danger in New York." Seth said anxiously. " I knew I shouldn't let you go to that violent city. It is said that the city is inhabited by the most dangerous thugs in the world, called ‘Avengers’."  
Tony didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this time, or how to defend himself. Peter chose to bury himself in the soup and pretend not to hear.  
"I think there has been some misunderstanding. They are good people. I was saved by one of them. I was saved by Iron Man." Kris said.  
"You said you were saved by this boy? I'm confused." Seth said.  
"He saved me, too. It's complicated." Kris's eyes drifted to Tony for help.  
"There was a fire on campus, Iron Man saved her. I took care of her at the hospital." Tony said calmly.  
"Yeah, that's it. It was just an accidental small fire, no big deal. Iron Man happened to be nearby, saved everyone. " Kris clutched at straws. "It's late. I'm tired, want to sleep."  
"Kris, we gave Elise your previous room, so you'll have to share a bed with her tonight. We didn't have a guest room, so I asked Gatlin to sleep with me. I'm clearing Gatlin's room for both of you. If you don't want to share a bed, one of you will have to sleep in the barn. Trust me, it's not a good idea to sleep in a barn this season." Seth said.  
"That's all right with me." Tony said.  
"Me too." Said Peter, looking up in due time.  
"I..." Kris wanted to protest against the arrangement.  
"Aren't you tired? Take a bath and go to bed." Seth urged.  
Kris stood up helplessly and looked at Tony wistfully.  
"Good night, Kris." Tony said.  
“Night, Tony, and Seth, and Peter." Kris said. "See you in the morning."  
"See you." Tony said.  
After Kris's figure disappeared around the corner of the stairs, Seth gave Tony another harsh word.  
"You, city slicker, I've seen lots of guys like you. Do you know how many boys peeping at her were beaten down by me? I'm looking at you. If you lie to her... you'll know Yorkshire man are tough.” Seth said, rubbing his hands.  
"I'm sure you have a hard fist." Peter chimed in at the right time.  
"Trust me, I won't..." Tony was interrupted by Seth.  
“You two should be full now. Go to bed. Farm people wake up early, won't let you get up late.”  
To be continued……


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36  
The village of Gawthrop, Yorkshire Dales, UK.  
Gatlin's bed is still cramped for two grown men. Tony lay on his back. Peter lay on his side. Tony couldn't sleep, chatting with Peter.  
"Peter, maybe you should consider moving into Avengers Mansion. Many of Avengers live there. Although Avengers are not subsidized now, at least board and apartment are still free. You can save a lot of money."  
"It's not very convenient. I have to do part-time job and graduate studies. And I don't know them very well. I mean, Spider-Man may be familiar with them, but Peter Parker is not. And you didn't move back, did you?"  
"My situation is a little complicated." Peter's words set off a torrent of talk from Tony.  
"It's not that I haven't been thinking about moving back. But after that night...You know, after that, everyone assumed that he and I are supposed to be a couple and I am supposed to move back. They asked me again and again. But I don’t want to... I don't want to be tied to him, or anyone else. The sense of anticipation that has been set in my life bothers me. Everyone thinks I love him, but it's not. It's just hormones. It's just hormones somehow, inexplicable. He's the only man I've ever felt this way about. I don't know why nobody believes me."  
"I believe you." Peter murmured, his head resting on Tony's shoulder. "Kris doesn't mean love to you, does she?"  
"It's too early to talk about love." Tony thought for a moment and answered. " I don’t think I’m ready to afford this word, and everything it stands for."  
"Well, get ready to be beaten up by Kris's brother. He looks fierce."  
"I think what he taught me about fighting could come in handy." Imagining that picture, Tony's lips began to curl. "But not so fast. I'm attracted to Kris and I want to continue with her. I mean we're the same age. We have a lot in common. We have mutual friends on campus. I'm really comfortable with her. We're on the same page in bed..."  
"Oh." Peter answered, indicating that he was still listening.  
"But he and I are decades apart. He is so out of time. His room looks like a 1940s barrack. He is also very stubborn, refused me to modernize it in any way. You know what? His bed made my back stiff." Tony complained.  
"He and I don't have anything in common. If anything, it's wearing a uniform and beating up some bad guys." Tony's smile widened as he remembered those times.  
“His moral standards are scary. If I step out of line or hide something from him, he'll catch me and nag it forever. You know, the last time we were in Washington..." Tony began to tell Peter about the incident in Washington.  
"And that time in Colorado…" Tony went back to the story of the escaped prisoners.  
"And in the Grand Canyon... Pete, are you with me?"  
"Oh." Peter said.  
"We were always at odds, always at loggerheads. He was always able to get my goat. The only time we're not fighting is when we're in bed, and at that time... I forgot what we were fighting about in the first place. I forgot everything... Pete, are you with me?"  
Peter didn't answer. Tony thinks Peter is asleep, but Peter is not. He just doesn't want to answer. He just doesn't want to remind Tony that he's been talking about Cap for an hour. He told him he didn't want to know the details, did he? Why can't he remember?  
Tony still couldn't sleep. He had forgotten the last time he slept soundly. So, he got up and sat down at Gatlin's little desk. He opened his wristwatch, put on his headphones, listened to the messages inside. Every sleepless night recently he's been listening to it, once again making sure he's not missing any new messages.  
Finally, he couldn't resist opening the only message from the S+ contact. Steve's voice is soft and thick. " A level 5+ tornado broke out in Colorado... I didn't wake you up. You’d better eat something before you rush out."  
Tony plays the message on a loop. In the quiet night, Steve's voice covers the sound of rain outside. With magnetism and magic, the sound penetrates Tony's every cell and thrills Tony's blood. Tony closed his eyes slowly. His body remembering his rough caresses, his heavy and light kisses, the tingling of his breath, the heat and the leaping glow of the tingling. Tony reached out and touched himself, from his lip to his ear, from his neck to his Adam's apple, and then his chest, ribs, abdomen, navel…downwards. This was the way he had kissed him, the way his kiss had landed on him and aroused his desire. At that time, he tends to go around the core of his desire, to the inside of his thigh where he nibbles gently at the skin. Each bite made Tony shiver, shivering to the rhythm of his gnawing. He raised his legs, straightened his toes, and gathered round his broad back. At that time, he would often stop, come to his ear, and say to him with the kind of gentle. The deep voice can crush all his willpower. "If you want, beg me, Tony.”  
And then I will forget everything, only him in my mind. I just say his name. "Steve..."  
Tony is muttering the name now, rubbing his desire. He didn't want the process to end too soon. Because he'd never let him get it too soon. He would slowly let his desire accumulate, slowly let it harden… He would brush the tip of his tongue from its base to its tip, repeating the process over and over again, adding a little more force each time… Until he grabbed the folds of the sheets underneath himself, breathed helplessly again, kept calling his name.  
"Steve... Steve... "

A meter away in the bed, Peter was not asleep. The spider sensor, which was always ineffective at times, now it was working properly. He saw Tony's every movement, and he felt his growing desire. He had seen Tony put on his headphones, he had seen him close his eyes, he had seen him unbutton his pajamas one by one, revealing the muscles of his chest. The implant in his chest flickered in the dark, seductive. He saw that he began to reach out and caress himself, following the lines of his muscles, going down... He saw his desire to rub his genitals, his head constantly thrown back, his legs and toes constantly straightened. He heard him groan and gasp.  
These sensations whetted Peter's lust. As he watched himself roll out of bed, walk to Tony, embrace him from behind, bend down and kiss his neck, kiss his bare body, kiss every inch of his skin… take him by the hand of rubbing desire, put the force upon it…let him follow his gift, groan and gasp… let him release, let him sprawl in his arms, powerless and content.  
Then I put him to bed. Let him call my name over and over again.  
But all these only in Peter's imagination, stay in Peter's desire. He finally didn't do anything, because he was clearly heard the name him murmured is not his name. At this time, any action he took will destroy his trust in him, will destroy everything they built up between them. So, Peter tried to suppress his lust. He curled up.  
After a while, Peter saw Tony get up and leave the room. Then there was the splash of water in the bathroom not far away. Peter breathed a sigh of relief, replaying the scene in his mind and quickening the movement of his hand... Then Peter fell asleep.  
It was already light when Tony came back from the bathroom. He looked at Peter huddled up in bed, fast asleep. He pulled another blanket over him. Then he took out the draft for Spider Armor, sat down at the desk, working on it by the faint morning light.

To be continued…


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37  
Christmas Eve in the village of Gawthrop, Yorkshire Dales, UK.  
The rain kept falling, Tony's mood felt like it had been raining for days. He stood on the porch of the farmhouse, watching the rain trickle down the eaves.  
At this time of year there was a Yule Ball at the Stark Mansion. The Stark family would invite all sorts of New York celebrities. Dressed in a black tuxedo and bow tie, young Tony's bristling hair was combed smoothly back, and every visitor who arrived was almost tempted to pinch his cheek. But Tony soon lost his presence at the crowded party, where his parents were always too busy socializing. Tony would fell asleep in a corner and waken up the next day in his room, probably to be carried back by Jarvis. So, Tony never liked Christmas. This is Tony's first Christmas without his parents, without the Yule Ball, without the lights of Stark's old Mansion, and without snow.  
Is there a party at Avengers Mansion today? What does Jarvis prepare for everyone during his busy day? Is it snowing in New York now? And will he miss me?  
“I'll give you a shilling for what you think now.” Kris opened the door and stepped out, putting her arms around Tony from behind.  
"Thinking of you." Tony turned and kissed Kris.  
"I know the weather is tough to get out. The house is a little small. We haven't had a chance to be alone these past few days. And Seth is a little fierce." Kris whispered in Tony's ear. "The good news is that Seth is busy cooking Christmas Eve dinner and the two kids are helping to make trouble in the kitchen, so we can sneak out to the barn."  
Then Kris took Tony's hand and ran through the rain to the barn. Although they ran very fast, still got their clothes wet. Kris pulled Tony down onto the haystack. Her half-wet hair sticking to a pile of hay. Then she laughed.  
"I was actually trying to steal a date with a man in the barn without Seth watching me." Kris said, charmed.  
“Whoever is the lucky man will not let a beautiful girl like you down.” Tony narrowed his eyes and bent his head to kiss Kris as he slowly pulled down her skirt...

Christmas Eve, Avengers Mansion, New York City, USA.  
The habitual criminals on Christmas Eve are also busy with the holiday and rarely want to cause trouble. So, Christmas Eve, as the name says, will probably be passed safely. It is a joyous occasion at Avengers Mansion.  
Jarvis is busy in the kitchen; Crystal is helping him; Vision and Dr. Pym are still in the lab; the rest of Avengers are basically around Beast. Hank McCoy's return has heated up the atmosphere. He's always funny and wacky. Luna holds him up like a giant stuffed animal, tugging at his fur. Beast cries out in pain, making everyone laugh.  
Steve is not part of the jubilation. He is standing at the window, mug in hand, staring at the gate. It has been snowing in New York for several days, and snow is still floating outside the window at this time. Tony never liked Christmas. He said it was all for tricked children. But he would come back every Christmas Eve, no matter where he was. It was inevitable that a few bad guys would trouble them during the holidays. But they always spent together, together to spent Christmas and welcomed the New Year. It was not a convention; it was just a default.  
But he's not him, is he? So tonight... Will he ever come back?  
Steve has been a somewhat formidable leader of Avengers for many years. When he fell silent in his thoughts, the only two people who would dare to interrupt him were Thor and Tony. But today Thor is back in Asgard for the holidays. And Tony is supposed to be the cause of Cap’s bad mood. Tony hasn't been home for months, and today is Christmas Eve. Everyone looked at each other. Nobody knew who to call back Cap. Finally, Wanda stepped forward. Hawkeye admired her courage.  
"Cap, you have been standing at the window for a long time. We are waiting for you." Wanda said.  
"Is it very late already?”  
"It's eight o 'clock in the evening. Dinner's ready."  
"Well, let's go."  
"Can I talk to you for a second before that?" Wanda said.  
"Sure. What is it for?”  
"Do you remember that party? The party before Spider-Man joined in."  
"Oh, that party. I remember..." A faint smile appeared on Steve's face.  
"I danced with Tony at that party." Wanda said bluntly. "I asked him a question, ' How long can you hold on if someone you love no longer has the emotional connection to you? 'It was really a self-answering question, but Tony answered it anyway, saying,' It won't be long. I'll move on. '"  
Steve smiled at Wanda's stubborn expression. Wanda is such a passionate, romantic, spoonful woman. Only Vision could forget her.  
"You think too much, Wanda. If you want to hear my answer, I'll say, ' I would hold on to him as long as he and I are alive. No matter how long it takes, I will let him find back that feeling, affectionately look at me. '"  
"Cap, you're so..." Wanda's eyes widened in surprise.  
"First time meeting a stubborn old Brooklyn man, aha?" Steve burst out laughing. "Thank you, Wanda, thank you all. I'm fine. No more wait. Now let’s go to the Christmas dinner. I wonder if Jarvis has improved his cooking again this year."  
Everyone was relieved to see Cap laughing. Beast took the opportunity to step forward. As someone with bad news, know when to say it.  
"Cap, can I have a word with you in private?” Beast said.  
"You go first, Wanda. I'll be there." Steve said. "What's up, Hank?”  
"Actually, I came to talk to you about Charles." Said Beast, frowning.  
"Professor X? What's happened to him?"  
"I'm a little worried about him. X-Men are a little worried about him..."

Christmas Eve in the village of Gawthrop, Yorkshire Dales, UK.  
Tony sat on a pile of hay, with Kris in his arms.  
"I'm sorry I let you down." Tony said.  
"That’s fine." Kris tried to hide her disappointment. "I think the weather is to blame. Let's go back to New York right after the New Year."  
"Okay."  
"I know you miss the snow at Christmas in New York."  
"Some miss." Said Tony, a little lost.  
"I know you lost your parents this year, and I thought it might be a good idea for you to spend Christmas in my home... I invited you, and now it doesn't seem like a good idea. You're not comfortable here." Kris said gloomily.  
"Nonsense, it's noisy but warm here. It feels like home. I appreciate you inviting me and my friend Peter." Tony came to himself. He kissed Kris on her cheek and soothed her.  
"Seth, even though he looks tough, is actually a good brother. Elise was only two months old when our father died. Our mother was devastated at that time. Seth took care of the family all by himself. He gave up college for us. You know, he's just a little overprotective of me. I hope you don't mind if he's mean to you."  
"I know, Kris. I can tell he loves you."  
"It's raining hard and the barn is getting cold. Let's go back. Seth's Christmas dinner should be ready. Try it. I guarantee you'll want it again next Christmas." Kris said.  
"I'm already thinking about coming here for Christmas dinner next year." Tony said with a smile.  
Kris pulled Tony up and ran back to the house. Sure enough, Seth had dinner ready. He glared at Tony. Tony pretended not to notice and sat down next to Kris. Mrs. DeGann led a prayer before the dinner. Tony followed the Romans, even though he did not believe in God. Then the atmosphere warmed up. Kris was talking and telling stories of what she had seen in New York. Tony added now and then. Seth lived up to his reputation as a good cook. Tony had eaten more than he had in a long time. After dinner, Mrs. DeGann sat under the Christmas tree digging out old photographs and telling Tony stories about Kris as a kid. Kris sat beside him, interjected from time to time. With Peter as a playmate, Gatlin and Elise didn't want to anyone else, so Peter was busy taking care of the kids until they were sleepy enough to fall asleep. For Tony and Peter, it was indeed the first special Christmas of their lives. Perhaps it was Seth's dinner that finally put Tony to sleep after midnight.

A thunder in the middle of the night woke Tony from a light sleep. He went to the window to look out. Outside, the wind and hail were falling from the sky. The ground shook under Tony's feet. He heard a distant roar and the sound of falling rubble. A terrible idea entered his mind. He ran back to the bed and shook Peter awake from his sleep.  
"Pete, wake up."  
“What is it, Tony?”  
"Did your spider sense anything?"  
"No." Said Peter sleepily.  
"There's just been an earthquake. I'm going to put on my armor and fly out."  
"I'll come with you." Peter came to himself.  
"You don't know how to fly. Your following would only slow me down. You stay and take care of the DeGanns. Do you have your Avengers ID card?"  
"I've got it."  
"We're staying in touch. Theoretically, the storm won't cut off the Avengers communication system, but the signal might be a little bit affected."  
"It's time for Avengers." Tony was in high spirit. He shouted the slogan, "Avengers Assemble!"  
"I have a question." Peter raised his hand slowly.  
“What Peter?”  
"What am I going to say if they ask where Tony and Peter are, and how do I explain where Iron Man and Spider-Man came from?"  
"Make up a story."  
With that, Tony pushed the button on his backpack and flew out as Iron Man. Peter stood at the window and scratched his head as he watched the knight vanish into the night. The task of "make up a story" is too difficult to carry out, Peter is thinking of.  
To be continued…


End file.
